Feathers of the Skies
by ShadowBladeFX
Summary: Ylisse and Plegia are on the brink of war. Prince Chrom is driven by emotion to rescue his sister, the Exalt Emmeryn. Despite the royal danger, the weight of the impending battle for Ylisse's peace rests completely on a young tactician's shoulders. When he takes interest in a certain Pegasus knight, however, things begin to change... M!AvatarxCordelia. UPDATE: Chapter 13 added.
1. Chapter 1 - Battles of the Mind

**Hello, fellow writers! This is my first FanFic! Woohoo! :) I'm not really sure about this entire thing so far, so reviews would be GREATLY appreciated. This is going to be an Avatar/Ae'dyn x Cordelia story, though it may not be clear sometimes. But like the rest of you, I need help in writing this whole thing! So once again, please feel free to review! Thank you all for reading this! It really means a lot to me! Enjoy! :D**

**-Shadow**

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**I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its worlds, places, items, or characters. Fire Emblem is a copyright of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. Only original character is the name of the Avatar, Ae'dyn. All others I DO NOT OWN.**

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"... Come to me..." The raspy voice beckoned. "Don't resist..." The dark cloud before me swirled eerily, building with each passing second. The world was dark; pitch black save for a tinge of purple on the horizon.

"My... Son..." The voice rang out like a gong. The cloud burst with tremendous force, consuming me like a thick, deadly blanket. I gasped for air, feeling deprived of life. The heat escaped my body and I felt the thoughts being sucked out of my brain like a vacuum. Hyperventilating, I tried to open my eyes to see around me, but I saw nothing. Then the lurking high-pitched whine pierced my ears, ringing loudly like a high perpetual air-horn. I gasped at the air, unable to keep myself upright, and landed with a loud few bangs on the dark ground.

I sat up suddenly in bed, gasping for air as I heard my door being knocked upon. "Unnngh... C-Come in..." I winced, clutching at my chest. I looked up groggily, to see an extremely ashen Chrom standing at the door of my room. Panting, I collapsed back onto my pillow, never realizing the potentiality of its fluffy attributes.

"Ae'dyn! Are you o-okay?" Chrom cried, dashing to the side of my bed. Resting a hand on my forehead, he sighed deeply. "It's okay... *whew* ... Breathe..." He gasped, attempting to calm me down. By this point, I was pouring in sweat, literally having had the living guts pulled out of me. I still breathed rapidly, grabbing at whatever part of fabric my hand could find.

"O-Okay... Isn't... Exactly... The correct... Term..." I muttered between heavy breaths. By the look in Chrom's anguished face, I could tell I was as white as my bed sheets. "More... Or less... In a merely... Vexing condition... Ugh..." I added, flopping my arms tiredly on the mattress, trying to calm myself down a few levels.

"It's okay... It's okay... Relax." Chrom smiled warmly, trying to comfort me. "Heck of a nightmare, huh?" He stood straight, looking relieved at my recovery.

"Wasn't a... Nightmare. More like... A dark, creepy, life-defying whirlpool of despair... Heh. Ugh... And a nightmare." I tried to smile as I finally regained my sense of clarity. "Well then... Good morning, Chrom!"  
"Well... I beg to differ for some of us. But yes, besides the nightmare, it is a good morning, Ae'dyn." Chrom again smiled, giving off another sigh of relief. "I had hoped that we could discuss strategy, but perhaps we could wait until lunch is over–"

"Wait! ... Lunch? Geez, Chrom! How late is it?!" I sat up in exasperation, reaching for my sword sheath.

Chrom sat down on a chair nearby as he spoke his answer. "Well it's almost 12:10, but I figured it best to–"

"12:10?! Chrom! I'm late for my training exercises!" I bolted from bed, grabbing my blue tunic as I sped to my closet.

Chrom sat up hurriedly, trying to explain the situation. "Y-Yes, but Frederick thought that you–"

"I've got my whole life planned every day! Now I'm late for training, meetings, now strategies–"

"Ae'dyn! STOP!" Chrom raised his voice, grabbing my shoulder firmly. I turned to meet his deep blue eyes. "There's no meeting for today as of the weather. Frederick thought it best to delay your sword-training now, so took initiative to notify Lon'qu near 6:00 this morning." Waiting for me to calm down, he continued slowly, "I thought it best to meet here to discuss strategy, as this is the day we will be taking a much needed break. Sound good?"

"... Yes. Thanks, Chrom." I smiled back, pulling my belt tight around my waist, and attaching to it, the sheath of my sword. I had found Ragnell lodged in a large tree, about as wide as a Wyvern was long. The blade showed significant signs of wear, but it was still almost as lethal as it had been in the legendary Crimean stories. The blade could only be wielded by few, and luckily I happened to be among those few. Sheathing the sword and sitting down on my bed in my Myrmidon attire, I took a deep breath to cool myself down. It was then that I noticed that it was snowing outside. "Ah. I see why the meeting was postponed." I stated, gazing out at the thick layer of white snow.

"Yes, I had Frederick take measurements. As of this morning, about five feet of snow fell last night. A few of us downhill were snowed in and were forced to dig ourselves out. ... Well, not me of course, but you get the point." Chrom smiled, turning back to me with a placid face.

"Oh good– wait, what?" I frowned, tapping the carbon-colored hilt of Ragnell. "Snowed in? Like who?"

"Oh just a few. Like Gaius, Stahl, aaaaaand... There was one more... Can't think of him..." Chrom contemplated, tapping his chin with his finger.

"Anyways, you wanted to discuss strategy?" I asked, gesturing to the table on the far side of my tent.

"Ah! Kellam! ... I think that's who it was!" Chrom lit up, raising his hand in the air, as if he hadn't heard me at all. "Yes, anyway, we had to dig them out using all our available shovels. Decided against fire magic. Found that one out the hard way... You see, the snow would then turn to ice and–"

"Chrom! Did you want to meet or what?!" I asked, breaking his runaway train of thought. A very startled Chrom looked up immediately, and began to walk over to the table, with a large, outstretched map of the lower mountain range to the north. Tomorrow we made our march up to Regna Ferox to escort the Exalt Emmeryn to safety from the currently attacking Plegia. The scouts had reported military movement of Plegia in the mountain ranges, but the Shepherds hadn't paid much attention to it. They didn't seem a threat, but then when suspicious movement by Plegia's eastern division began approaching the border, they couldn't take a chance, and were desperate to deliver Emmeryn up to the safety of Ferox.

"As we had heard yesterday, our scouts have reported Plegian activity up here in the mountain range." Chrom explained, gesturing to different parts of the map. "We should probably be ready for any sort of surprise attack. Any suggestions?"

"Hmm..." I thought deeply, bringing a gloved hand to my chin. Studying the map again, I began to think of the advantages we might have, versus the advantage of their surprise. "I think we should be able to march with a few horses guarding the front, maybe Stahl and Sully... You and I should probably take Lissa up with us just to be sure, and Lon'qu and Gaius can flank us. Frederick would protect the leeward side of the pass, and Sumia and Ricken should be able to provide anti-Mage defense. The others can follow up behind, but be sure to stock everybody up with weapons and vulneraries. In case of an attack, Stahl and Frederick would then easily be able to provide primary defense against any such Wyverns or Pegasus that come through the peaks."

Chrom nodded as he looked intently at the map, trying to visualize the plan. "I like it. I suppose it would also make it more practical to be able to march with. The formation could stay, while providing an emergency defense in case of an ambush." He smiled, looking up at me with a hint of pride. "Your plans never cease to fail, my good friend. I have faith that Emm will soon be delivered to the safety of Ferox."

"Just pray we'll never have to use this defending plan. I wouldn't like for anybody to be caught off guard." I sighed, gazing back down at the map. "If they came in from here, however... We might just need to provide extra defense for our fliers. I think Kellam and Virion had best station themselves at this end of the formation. Virion would then be able to shoot any enemy flier out of the sky. It's probably the safest way to go."

Chrom again nodded, turning back to the map and beginning to roll it up. "This March May succeed yet! I never doubted you, Ae'dyn. You are a fine tactician and friend. Now! If you'd excuse me, I have a meeting with Frederick about politics. Ugh... Well, I shall see you later Ae'dyn!" Chrom turned to leave, waving a hand up to say good bye.

"See you around, Chrom." I smiled, giving him a friendly pat on the back. He trudged into the foggy white landscape, his blue hair tossing in the gentle wind as he vanished from sight. "Ugh... Why can't we march through grass? I'm sure it'd be much quicker if it were spring already..." I muttered as I slumped down onto my bed once more, trying to think out my plans for the day again.

Out of boredom, I unsheathed Ragnell. Metal on metal sounded out sharply as I pulled the legendary sword from my sheath. The broad blade seemed to glisten in the low light, the gold of the edge smoothly reflecting the slightest bit of day. I held it up to my face, examining the soft cracks along its broad tip. The hilt was a dark steel, aged over thousands of years to where it had turned to a deep carbon black color. I began recalling the ancient stories of the Radiant Hero, Ike, from another world who wielded this same blade. The people called him the Hero of the Blue Flame for his burning passion and hunger for justice. It was said that Ike had strength like none other, able to defeat thousands of foes at once single-handedly. The blade was heavy, taking impressive amounts of strength to lift with one hand, but when it met the flesh of an enemy, there would be no stopping it's lethally sharp edge.

Breaking me out of my trance, I heard loud footsteps crunching in the white snow outside my tent. I looked up with a start to see Lon'qu standing by the entrance to my tent. "Oh! H-Hello, Lon'qu... I heard training's postponed?" I asked, still trying to pry my thoughts away from trying to envision the legendary tale.

Lon'qu smirked, looking dazedly at Ragnell in my hands. "You are correct." He muttered, taking his eyes off of the blade to look outside. "I like the snow. Reminds me of home."

"Where's home?" I asked, then mentally smacked myself for saying that. I already had heard the answer billions of times.

"Ferox." Lon'qu answered, looking almost astonished at my question. He shifted his gaze, and looked worriedly in my direction. "Tired?" He waited for an answer, but I was lost in thought. "Me too." He nodded, looking back outside.

"Yeah..." I replied, noticing that I had been zoned out for the past few seconds. I shook my head, trying to focus again. Standing up, I walked over to the brown haired swordsman. He heard my steps, and turned to meet me.

"I have taken the initiative to move our training to tomorrow after the battle. I hope you don't mind?" He asked, not taking his eyes from the deep white fog.

"Not at all. It's good to have a break every once in a while. I just hope nothing happens tomorrow..." I muttered, giving him a pat on the back. He turned to look weirdly at me, then leaned back on the tent. "It's almost lunch... Do you want to head over to the mess hall?" I asked, brushing aside a stray turquoise fringe from my forehead.

"Yes." He answered, and began his walk to the left.

"Uh... Lon'qu..." I mumbled, and watched as the swordsman turned quickly to correct his course.

"This way." He smiled, now headed to the right of me. I smiled back, and began walking too, the chill of the cold winter air finally stinging my face like frozen needles. I closed my tent, and joined Lon'qu's side as we began to wonder what kind of warm soup was for lunch.

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The very next morning, the snow had disappeared. I awoke with ease, once again dressing into my Myrmidon attire. I grabbed Ragnell as I marched outside, feeling the embrace of the warm morning sun. Today we marched to Ferox to get Emmeryn to safety. "Please keep us safe..." I muttered towards the sky, continuing to walk forward towards the meeting tent. When I walked inside, Chrom was already sitting with Frederick and Lissa at the table standing inside.

Lissa turned quickly upon hearing the door open. "Good morning, Ae'dyn!" She smiled warmly, making me smile back. She turned to nod to Frederick who also muttered a soft greeting. Chrom then stood up, motioning for the other two to follow. Walking towards me, he laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Good morning, my friend. Glad the snow is gone." He smirked, walking to exit the tent behind me. We all walked outside the tent, now standing in a tranquil grass field. Lissa giggled at the breeze, letting it blow her pig-tails around softly.

As we rallied the troops for the march, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warning inside my mind. I turned back to Chrom, who was busy giving orders to Frederick, who turned and complied instantaneously. "Chrom, I have a bad feeling..." I muttered, meeting the deep blue eyes of the Ylissean prince.

"Don't worry. It'll all be fine. Very soon, we'll be in the safety of Ferox." He gave me a smile as we began to march away from our campsite. With the tents all packed up, it was once again just a quiet field, minus the clanking of armor and loud muttering of hundreds of Feroxi soldiers.

"I don't know... I can't quite put my finger on it. Something just feels amiss..." I looked upwards, as the wind seemed to shift quite suddenly. It was then that I spotted a lone Wyvern rider, gliding above our heads in circles as we traversed the rocky terrain. "Chrom...?" I tapped the prince's shoulder to get his attention. He looked up quickly, then spotting the Wyvern as well. He let out a slow mumble, watching it float like an eagle.

"Shepherds! Prepare for–" He began to yell, but was cut off by a large boulder tumbling down the mountainside. "Look out!" He yelled, motioning for everyone to get out of the way. The boulder landed with a loud smash, lodging itself between the base of the mountain and a large rock by the cliffs on the other side of us. We had been cut off from the Feroxi army, stuck only in our pre-planned defensive formation.

"Stahl! Frederick! Guard this mountain from fliers! Sully! Make sure nothing gets past them!" I yelled out orders, gesturing to the troops with rapid movements. I watched as the three knights charged to my left to follow my command. "Lon'qu! Gaius! Vaike! I need you to flank the knights, make sure nothing gets up behind them! I don't want any surprise attacks coming from those Plegians today!" The two swordsmen and the axeman ran to where I had commanded them to, poising themselves for the eminent battle. "Kellam! Sumia! Virion! Give me some air defense! Nothing flying gets past those cliffs! Lissa! Maribelle! Miriel! Ricken! Keep to the rear! Those Wyverns are weak to magic! Protect the healers! I don't want anyone to be left unassisted. Shepherds! Prepare for battle!" I shouted, bracing for the anticipated attack. This wasn't what I was hoping for, but it had to work to our advantage.

Loud war cries rose from the mountains as Plegian warriors began pouring down the side of the hill. As a raging Barbarian charged straight at me, I tried to look around to make sure we weren't in a tight spot. Swinging Ragnell in a wide arc, I leapt towards the marauder, plunging my sword deep into his torso. With a final cry, he fell limp on the rocky ground. Turning to my left, I saw Stahl being attacked from behind by a large Wyvern, rider swinging his axe wildly. I charged at the flying beast, slashing the side of the dragon with Ragnell. Jumping up in the air, I cut the rider in two, slashing at his armored ride.

"Thanks!" Stahl smiled, turning back to the mountain to rejoin Frederick.

Turning back to face Chrom, I realized that he was being attack on all sides by five mercenaries. I dashed at one, tackling him to the ground as Chrom's Falchion blade ripped through his shoulder. Quickly stumbling to my feet, I cut down another warrior, helping Chrom defeat the last few soldiers. With a slash to his right, Chrom caught the arm of another swordsman, who cried out in pain as he crumpled to the ground. I struck forward as I dodged an attack from the second Mercenary, slashing open his chest. Turning back to Chrom, I saw the last warrior cry out loud as he swung his axe in the air. I dove to cover Chrom, blocking the attack from the brigand with my blade, knocking his weapon from his hand. Chrom and I stabbed forward in unison, ending the Plegian's life with one swift stroke. I turned to nod to Chrom, who smiled back thankfully. We had gotten rid of the first wave, but more remained ahead, protecting an armed Wyvern rider General. I didn't hear a step, but out of nowhere I saw a lance strike towards me in the corner of my eye. "So this is how it ends then..." I thought to myself as the lance came rushing towards me. Then, a white blur ran across my sight, pushing me to the side. Red streaks flowed across the air like a crimson banner. As I hit the ground, I realized that the soldier who attacked me had a Javelin to the heart. I gasped as I tried to recall the assault. "S-Sumia?" I wondered, gazing up at the silhouette of a Pegasus above me.

Then I heard Phila, captain of the Pegasus knights in Ylisse utter a cry. She stood guarding Emmeryn, but her poise dropped when she saw the Pegasus. "I-Is that... My gosh... Cordelia?" She gasped in surprise.

"Cordelia?" I asked groggily, bewildered at what had just happened. Looking up again, I vaguely saw that the Pegasus was descending towards me. Laying back on the ground, I felt a searing pain shoot through my leg. I looked down to see an arrow protruding from my thigh.

Phila pretended not to notice my agony and answered my question. "Yes. She's one of my Pegasus knights. Young, yet capable... But if she's here... Oh no! Could it mean...?!" She cried in disbelief.

The Pegasus landed with a rush of air, touching down right next to me. Then a girl with long red hair, jumped down from the mount, running towards me. "A-Are you okay?!" She gasped as she stared, horrified, at the arrow in my leg.

I tried to utter an answer, but all that escaped my mouth was a muffled, "Ouch!"

The girl named Cordelia knelt down next to me, examining my leg quite awkwardly. "Okay... Hold on, I'm going to try to pull it out." She tensed up, straightening her back as she gently grabbed hold of the arrow.

"Nonononono!" I cried, stretching my arms out to try to stop her from moving it. "If you just wait just a–" PAAANG! The pain shot up my body, my mind screaming the whole time that I was for sure dead. I tried to reach for my leg, but grabbed onto whatever I could find. "OWWWWWWWW!" The cry rang out, echoing loudly through the pass. I winced as I tried to focus my sight from the white blur that doubled my vision through tears. I blinked a couple of times, trying to regain full control of my mind again. I groaned as the pain kept shooting throughout my body, surging violently up my spine. I looked incredulously up at the figure that had her hand on my quickly failing leg. "That... HURT..." I cried between clenched teeth. It was then that I realized that I had unconsciously grabbed hold of her arm. Quickly pulling my shaking hands away, I looked up into her face. She was smiling sympathetically, and was pressing a red towel up against my leg. I could tell that the towel was originally white however, as the corner was currently untouched.

"I'm sorry." She said gingerly, resting a hand on my shoulder. Then I heard footsteps scuffing the rocks behind me. I tilted my head to see, but began to feel nauseous. Then the footsteps stopped right beside me, and I saw Cordelia gaze up at the person. Whoever it was, he must've been pretty cute, because Cordelia blushed and became flustered as soon as she saw his face. Then I saw a flash of blue hair come towards me. At that moment I knew it was Chrom.

"Are you alright? What happened?" He asked incredulously, looking down at the wound in my leg.

"A-An arrow hit my leg... Went deep... Ugh..." I managed to mutter between surges of pain. Cordelia was now staring downward, as if avoiding eye contact, but I could still notice her crimson cheeks even though her red hair covered most of her face. I then began to wonder if the two had something going on that I didn't know about. Kind of upsetting, as I was clearly here first. ... What was I thinking? I asked myself as my thoughts began to randomly scatter from bouts of nausea.

"Looks seriously painful." Chrom sympathetically sighed. "Cordelia, take him to somewhere safe, I'll send Lissa over to care for him later. The battlefield isn't the place to safely mend him..."

"Y-Y-Yes, s-sir! I-I'll do that! Right a-away!" Cordelia stuttered, still staring dazedly at my leg. The footsteps faded off as Chrom returned to the battlefield.

"What was that all about?" I asked groggily. "It seems like he and you–" SMACK! My leg lit up in fire as Cordelia hit my wound to shut me up. "OWWW! .. What is wrong with you? ... Awwww..." I groaned, trying now to keep my eyes open.

"Never speak of that again! ... I need to get you back to safety. I hope you're not afraid of heights?" She smirked, trying to pull me to my feet. Carrying me in her arms, she climbed on her Pegasus, sitting me down behind her. "Hold on tight." She warned as she grabbed the reigns.

"I'll try..." I answered feebly. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her waist, expecting a gentle lift off.

With a tug by Cordelia, the Pegasus took off, thrusting up in the air as we fled from the battlefield. I struggled to find my grip and clenched tighter onto her armored abdomen. Trying not to let out any signs of pain, I grimaced and my leg started pounding as the wind rushed up against it. I breathed quickly, trying to keep my eyes open. The pain kept surging up my whole body, and soon I heard a loud ringing. I tried to keep focused, but dark orbs started to cloud my vision. I finally let out a muffled groan, struggling to sense anything. THUMP! I hit my head on something painfully hard and I was out cold.

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**A/N: Well! That was a little bit... Sketchy... But hey! It's my first FanFic! Can't complain too much. I'll be updating this rather frequently, and I do apologize if the chapters start to get EXTREMELY long. I have a tendency to over-write. ****Like, a lot. **

**In case you didn't catch that, Ae'dyn is the name of the Avatar for this story. (Pronounced just like the name Aidan.) I'll try to make sure to keep this as Ae'dyn x CrimsonPegasusRider as I can... No guarantees what will spring up a bit later... Lol :D**

**Hey! Thanks for reading! Please make sure to review! Please, no hate. I hate hate. Thank you very much! :)**

**\- Shadow**


	2. Chapter 2 - Lost in Safety

**Hello once again, friends! First off, I want to thank you, my readers. Over 200 views yesterday alone. And thank you for the one review. You all made my day yesterday! Literally! :) Anyway, more reviews would be nice. I'd like to know how I'm doing. Good or bad. As a wise young Pegasus Knight once said, "Flattery is all well and good, but we must know our faults if we want to grow." ...And... Well, that's that...**

**So without further ado, here is the slightly awaited second chapter. Enjoy!**

**-Shadow**

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"Come to me..." The voice beckoned once again, this time a wispy hand reaching out of the dark shroud towards me. "Please. Don't resist..." It called, seeming as if to lure me into a trap. "It's okay. You can wake up now." The voice turned slightly higher pitch. I tried to think, as it was quite confusing. Why try to tell me to awaken if your goal is to trap me...? The voice continued, and a soft patting repeatedly hit my chest. The fist then tightened, hurling towards me. It hit my chest, and I felt the wind knocked out of me as my body began to disintegrate. The cold air stung me like needles, grasping at me as if to take control of my heart. The breath left me cold, crying from pain and loneliness. I didn't want to die, yet here I was, the life being drawn from me like a sheet off a mattress. I gasped for air, feeling the warmth leave me to die, as I hit the hard black ground. "You... Are... Safe..." The voice hissed softly.

I awoke with a start, gasping for air. These nightmares kept getting worse and worse. I looked up feverishly, trying to adjust my eyes to the light that flooded my blurry vision. A blur of red, grey, and white clouded my sight. It was then that I realized that I wasn't where I thought I was. Looking down, my thoughts were confirmed as I watched the trees far below move by as if I were flying. Then I heard the flap of wings and the soft rasp of wind as it hit my face. Looking back up, I realized that I was still on the Pegasus, gripping tightly onto the crimson-haired rider in front of me. My head was resting on a particularly sharp piece of metal armor, laying fastened on Cordelia's shoulder. I quickly sat upright, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Oh! You're finally awake!" Cordelia smiled happily, turning her head slightly to look at me. Her long red hair flowed in the wind, brushing my face whenever it was swept over by the rushing air.

"It appears so... W-Why are we still flying?" I asked as I turned to look down again. A thick fog blanketed the forest below, allowing minuscule amounts of visibility for navigation.

"I can't find a safe place. I don't know where the enemy is, the rest of the Shepherds... Heck, I don't even know where we came from is." Cordelia grimaced, trying to lean forward to get a better view.

Then realizing that the girl who had saved me had never been introduced to me, I began to stutter an introduction. "My... My name..." I fumbled with the words. They seemed to hop down my throat as I was trying to force them out. Cordelia turned her head back, trying to hear me better.

"I'm sorry... Did you say something?" She asked, trying to meet my eyes from the corner of hers.

"W-Well... Yes... M-My..." I stammered, trying to at least fit my name in there somewhere. "My name is Ae'dyn." Whew. There I said it. I sighed to myself. "You're Cordelia, correct?" I asked after a short second of thought, leaning forward so that she could hear me better.

"Yes. I am Cordelia. I am a Pegasus knight of Ylisse." Cordelia yelled over the wind. "And... You are the infamous tactician that joined the Shepherds not too long ago, correct?"

"Yeah. Or... Something like that, I suppose." I smirked. I thought I sounded rather silly to myself, but it made her giggle, so I guess it was acceptable. "Your Pegasus is very handsome. What's his name?" I asked, trying a little too desperately to avoid another awkward silence.

"Her." She corrected, giving me a scolding gaze, hair thrashing across her face. "Her name is Caeda." She smiled as her face lightened up, and reached down to pet the Pegasus' white neck. Caeda? After the Hero-King's lover? Did she aspire to have a similar relationship with a certain man of royalty? It seemed the most logical explanation of the legendary name...

"Oh... My apologies. She is... Very pretty." I stated simply, averting my gaze from her flowing crimson hair, and looking out over the stormy landscape. As if reading my entire thought process, Cordelia spoke up again.

"Speaking of which... Are you one for romance?" She turned her gaze back to me, but waited for no response. "I'd love to learn about your love life, if you don't mind." A thin smile crossed her face, a pink tinge coloring her cheeks.

"B-But I just met you... Don't you think that's a thing... You know... Friends would share?" I answered, unaware of the pleading in her eyes.

"A-Are we not friends yet?" She inquired, then quickly realized what she had just said. "Uh... I mean... Please? Just to pass the time, of course..." She sighed, turning back to the reigns. "But of course, if you're uncomfortable with talking about that at this particular moment... I'll spare you the apparent grief." She sighed again, straightening up her back.

Regrettably, the awkward silence that I had worked so hard to avoid eventually fell upon us. The only thing that kept the sound was the constant flapping of Caeda's wings. Come on, think of something... I thought to myself, trying to lift the weight off of the situation. Why ARE we still flying? I mean, really. I wondered, looking back to the clearly concentrated Cordelia. The thought suddenly shot a chill up my spine. "Are we lost?" I asked incredulously, adjusting my grip on her waist. To my surprise, the girl turned around to face me, a solemn gaze blanketing her face.

"In a sense..." She turned back to the reigns, sighing deeply. "Yes we are." She then closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But I think it best for us to land somewhere in the forest befo–"

A sharp and sudden whizz cut her off mid-sentence. An arrow flew upwards, and grazed her cheek, leaving a thin red cut along the side of her face. She cried out in shock, bringing her hand up to gently dab the blood. More arrows zinged by, missing us by as little as a few centimeters. Throwing Caeda into a dive, Cordelia tried to steer clear of the lethal projectiles, invoking in me an urge to empty my bowels. Then an arrow caught the Pegasus on the wing, slicing through the white feathers like poking a needle through paper. Caeda let out a strained neigh, and began to fall quickly to the ground.

"Oh no!" Cordelia cried, trying to roll the Pegasus back onto her feet to cushion our fall. Seeing this as a failed attempt, and the trees rapidly approaching, she unhooked herself from the harness, twisting back to tackle me off the back of the falling winged horse. A loud thump followed as Caeda thudded down to the ground. Then in an instant, I felt a sharp sting cover my whole body as tree branches engulfed me. Closing my eyes, I prepared for the worst and clung tightly onto the armored body of Cordelia. Then, nothing but a soft thud and a giant splash of water followed. Now immersed in the cold river, I tried my best to grab hold of something. Whatever I could find. I found a rock, but it merely gave way to the current of the water. Desperately trying to surface, I lunged my self in the direction I thought was upwards.

My head spun with pain as I burst out of the frigid stream, gasping for a much needed breath of air. Opening my eyes, I grabbed at a tree beside the water, and held on for dear life. I heard a gentle splash as footsteps approached in a hurried manner. Then a hand reached out towards me, and I grasped it hastily. Working with the tug of the arm, I hoisted myself out of the cold river, feeling the warmth of the rich brown soil beneath my hands. I stood up quickly, feeling a head-rush as I stumbled to my feet. I looked up grimly, watching Cordelia pant beside me. We were both soaking wet from the river, and now lost without a ride. Cordelia's hair clung to her body, like a wet blanket covered her back, leading down towards the back of her knees.

"G-Great... Now we really A-ARE lost..." She sighed in-between gasps for air. Just then, a crunch of twigs beneath a few sets of feet broke the silence.

Drawing Ragnell, I straightened my back, readying for the evident fight. Cordelia bent down instantaneously and grabbed her steel lance from the ground. A small battle cry rose from our four Plegian attackers, who charged forward without hesitation. How the heck we were supposed to get out of this one, I did not know.

I charged forward, blocking an axe mid-swing, and using the warrior's momentum to push him past me. Turning with a swift stroke of my blade, I cleaved through the assailant's back. Twisting back around, I parried an oncoming slash from a Plegian Myrmidon. He recoiled, dodging my counter, and repositioning his blade. I dashed forward again, thrusting aside his sword with a wide stroke of Ragnell's blade. Now unarmed, the Myrmidon stood taken aback. Then from beside me, a lance struck forwards, impaling the swordsman with incredible speed. I glanced over to see Cordelia pull back the lance from the myrmidon's corpse. I then turned to see that the other two had been already taken down, each lying on the ground. Dead. I gazed up as I relaxed my muscles, straightening my back to look over at Cordelia once more. Something broke me out of my thoughts, and I realized then that I had been zoned out for a few seconds...

"... Out!" I heard a faint voice shouting out loud. What? I thought, confused. "Look out!" The voice called again, this time followed by a blow to my torso as I hit the ground quite suddenly. Breaking myself from the trance, I looked upwards, trying to regain my sense of direction. I could feel the embarrassed blush in my cheeks as I saw Cordelia lying flat on top of me as arrows whizzed by overhead.

"Could you not be more distracted?!" She yelled, trying to get my attention over the sound of attacking Plegian archers. She then stood up, yanking a javelin from its sheath on her back. Heaving the spear over her head, she flung it forward towards the enemies hiding in the bushes. With a loud thunk, the javelin landed in the heart of an archer just restringing his bow. That left three.

I jumped up, grabbing Ragnell off of the ground beside me. I lunged for Cordelia, slashing my sword in front of her. It met an arrow headed for her chest, cleaving it perfectly down the middle. The arrow landed with a soft crunch on the forest floor. Cordelia nodded her thanks, then wound up again to throw another javelin. This one landed on the archer's forehead, sending him sprawling backwards as he hit the ground for the last time. Two left.

I ran forward, taking advantage of the reloading archers to charge my own assault. I leapt across the river with a running jump, rolling to safety on the other side. I ended up right beside the enemy archer. He jumped back, dropping his bow as I struck my blade home. He fell limply at my feet. One left.

I looked carefully through the brush, trying to pick up any movement of the last remaining attacker. Then I heard another whizz of an arrow, followed by a loud shout of agony. "NO!" I cried leaping forward towards the defenseless Plegian. Bringing my sword down on the back of his shoulder, I ended his life with one swift stroke across the neck. Gasping for air, I sheathed Ragnell, and leapt back across the stream to aid my fallen comrade.

Cordelia groaned in pain, clutching the arrow that protruded from her side. I tried to think of what to do, falling to my knees beside her crumpled form. I reached down and ripped off a piece of my tunic, wrapping it in my left hand. "Okay... This might hurt..." I grimaced, wincing as I gently grasped the arrow. I gave a slight tug, and it came out easily. Thank God the archer didn't put too much power into the shot. I quickly moved the torn piece of clothing over her wound, applying soft pressure to her side.

"OWWW!" Cordelia cried, tears rolling down her rosy cheeks. "HURT... Just a little!" She grimaced, biting her lip to help ease the pain.

"Sorry I couldn't stop the arrow..." I muttered, trying still to stop the bleeding with my makeshift towel. "I was so reckless..."

"No... It's okay. You did the right thing to do." She tried to force a smile, grabbing the wadded up cloth from me, and began applying the pressure herself. "I-I should have seen it..." Then after a short pause added, "Th-Thank you, Ae'dyn." She smiled up at me, forcing a thin smile.

"Will you be okay?" I asked, still grimacing. The pain in her eyes made it clear that she was suffering. How I was feeling now must have been how she felt when I was shot, I pondered. Then remembering my own wound, I began to feel nauseous, the adrenaline suddenly leaving my body. Resting my head quickly and thoughtlessly on the armored body in front of me, I collapsed unconscious into a dark, cold sleep.

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**A/N: I really hope I don't start to resort to blacking out at the end of each chapter... *SIIIIIIIIIIIGH*... I need some motivation here... I just decided to write this chapter out of boredom. Did you enjoy it? Please by all means, let me know! I could use some encouragement! Thanks! Next chapter will be... Dealing with some tender issues... *cough, cough*...**

**-Shadow**

**UPDATE: Just reached 250 views! Sweet! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Dark Dream

Chapter Three - Dark Dream

The wind rushed against my body as I tried to stay warm. The darkness seemed to engulf me, like being swallowed in a sea of shadows. Hesitantly, I brought myself to my feet. Strange... There's no voice this time. I thought to myself as I began to walk cautiously around. Then a voice called out to me from the shadows... But it wasn't the same voice as before.

"H-Hello? Is anyone there...?" A soft feminine voice rose from the dark backdrop. I squinted to see, and a faint outline of an armored girl with long hair emerged in front of me. "W-Who are you...?"

"Who... Who are you?" I asked, confused by the meaning of this. This was no nightmare... At least not yet... "Do I know you?"

"There you are... Why didn't you save me?" The voice echoed heavily through the black mist. Then out stepped the mysterious figure. The voice belonged to Cordelia, who now stood, inches from my own face. I looked into her piercing crimson eyes, sensing a hint of fear in them. "Why didn't you save... Me, Ae'dyn?" She asked again, moving in so close that I could feel her breath against my own face.

"I-I don't know how to answer that." I responded, still confused as to why she was in my dream. "I... I thought that you..." I stammered, trying to make sense of my words.

"Well then, Sir, you thought wrong." Cordelia answered dryly, still staring at me uncomfortably close. I'm sure that I was blushing up a storm right then, but it was too dark to ascertain. If my nose were half a centimeter longer, it would be touching hers right now; that's how close she stood to me. "And that's how it's going to end. You are wrong." Her voice turned almost inhuman, suddenly sounding very raspy and coarse.

"I-I'm sorry...? Did I miss something...?" I asked, still feeling rather awkward about the distance at which she insisted on standing at.

"You missed everything. You missed your chance. Your chance to do good. Your chance to live. Your chance to love. Your chance..." Her voice sounded upset, almost mocking me for failing to do... Something. "Your chance to save me... But it's too late now. I am dead, Sire. Because of you. Because of your failure." A sinister laugh echoed out in the darkness, as cracks of red began trickling across the landscape like veins. My pulse escalated, and I began to breathe fast. My head burst with pain as a severe migraine took control over my focus. I grunted as I tried to clutch my head with both hands. The laughter continued, sinister, as if marveling at my misery.

"Get... Out... Of my... HEAD!" I yelled, trying to break the excruciating throb that crashed constantly through my brain. The walls closed in, squeezing me on both sides so that I could barely move. "ENOUGH!" I cried, thrusting my arms out from my head, sending crackling bolts of lightning out into the darkness, shattering the walls like glass. Without thought, I drew Ragnell from its sheath, charging for the shadowy image. Lunging forward quickly, I thrust the blade forward into the body of the cackling shadow. The silhouette then reformed itself back into the shape of Cordelia, which made me falter to pull back the blade.

Red hair hung down softly from her head, swaying slightly with each strangled breath. Cordelia slowly looked up through tears, shooting a pain through my heart. Blood dripped from her mouth in spurts, landing softly onto the golden edge of Ragnell. Tears streamed down her face as she opened her mouth to say something, but restrained. Dropping my blade, I stepped forward to catch her fall. Landing softly in my arms, she looked up at me quietly, gasping for air as red from her nose and mouth covered her upper lip and chin. "I-I'm cold. So... alone... I don't want to... Die... C-C-Cold..." She cried softly through constant shivers. Her eyes sparkled, wet with tears as she tried to say something. "How... It... Ends..." She whispered painfully, coldly staring into my eyes, as if to reprimand me. "Will... Always... End... Because of you..."

Her hand dropped feverishly, falling down to rest on her stomach. With one final, cold tear, her eyes closed shut. The breath left her as she died helplessly in my arms. She was right: I... Had failed to save even her from myself. I shouted a cry of anger, yelling out into the darkness to let out my agony. She lay in my arms... Dead. Because of me. Dead... Because I failed. ... But... Why? Why... her?

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A/N: Removed the stupid brother/sister conversation. I am now satisfied.


	4. Chapter 4 - Into the Fray

**I am truly sorry for the lack of promised updates. I've been busy with work of various kinds. Studying especially. I know you all have been wanting this update for a while, so now I present to you Chapter Four. Please remember to follow, favorite, and review. It helps a lot to know where I'm going wrong and where I'm going right. Thanks for your support!**

**-Shadow**

**Warning: Ye old ****disclaimer follows. ... Something about not owning Fire Emblem. Okay... Oh! Now here's something interesting. Ah! It says here that I don't own any of the characters except for the name of the avatar. Hmm. That's very interesting... Moving on... shall we? Let's dance! xD**

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I awoke groggily the next morning, nestled in a large bowl-shaped Y in the tree branches like a bird sleeping in its nest. Sitting up slowly, I let out a yawn, turning around to stretch my back. But when I did so, I caught an unpleasant glimpse of the back of a bare woman's body covered in flowing red hair...

"Geez, Cordelia!" I cried, turning immediately to hide my face in my hands. "You could let a guy know that you were bathing over there! I don't know not to look! Why didn't you conceal yourself?" I continued to yell to the girl by the river. The rain had ceased yesterday evening, and the ground had mostly dried up overnight.

"Sorry! I didn't know you were going to be awake soon!" She shouted back, trying not to move. "Anyways, I remembered something I should have told you a while ago..." She quickly reached down to grab her shirt, but missed and stumbled... And as she did so...

"Ugh!" I gasped, turning away again. Slamming my head down on my knees in front of me, I continued to avoid looking in her direction again. "Aaaand...?"

"And, I forgot to mention that the... Um..." She continued from behind me. Then I heard the light crunch of footsteps coming towards me, and a fully clothed Cordelia strode into view below me. "Brace yourself... The border fell to Plegia–"

"WHAT?!" I cried, leaping out from the tree. The height didn't seem to matter, and I hit the ground in a roll, landing with no injury.

Cordelia continued anyway. "–the day I flew in to the battlefield. King Gangrel led his forces against us... And my Knight-Sisters gave their lives so that I could flee... and warn you about the danger, and... A-and..."

"Let's get going then! Come on!" I yelled over my shoulder, back at the crimson-haired girl. I grabbed Ragnell from its sheath and swung in a quick arc, slicing the vine we had used to tie up our bag of vulneraries. Grabbing the sack from it's hiding spot, I turned to look for Cordelia, but realized that she had already put on her armor and grabbed her lance, ready for the march.

"Do you honestly think we'll be able to catch up?!" She asked, ruffling her hair to finish fixing it. "Won't we be a few days' march behind...?

"Unless we have a mount..." I stated quickly, looking through the brush for any signs of larger life. Speaking of which... "Where's Caeda? Is she still alive?" Then answering my own question, I turned for the site where we had crash-landed to the forest floor. "We'd better start looking for her."

"I'm not sure if she's dead... It was a very long fall... Even for a Pegasus. But she wouldn't be much use for flying, because her wing would be injured... Unless..." Cordelia thought out loud, beginning to follow closely behind me. We walked back into the forest, following the river where we fell into. We couldn't have went out to look for her because of the rain, but now that it had let up, we were trying, and if we did, her wings would be dry. After walking a few minutes into the forest, we came across a lush green meadow. There were wild apple trees and multiple holly bushes scattered throughout the plain... But no sign of a Pegasus...

"Hmm..." I pondered, gazing at a large clump of disturbed grass. Walking slowly towards it, I saw a white wing laying flat against the waist high grass. Eyes growing wider, I broke into the opening, gazing down on the sleeping Pegasus in front of me. Cordelia gasped in surprise, barging in front of me to embrace the winged beast. With a soft whinny, Caeda awoke upon hearing her master's voice. Slowly erecting herself onto her hooves, the Pegasus rose to greet us. Cordelia ran up and hugged Caeda's neck, tears of joy streaming down her face. Breaking the embrace, she dried her tears with her skirt, and walked over to inspect the animal's wounds. Holding up a feathered wing, she gently touched the puncture wound. Caeda seemed to have suffered tremendous amounts of bruising from the fall, but with enough apples to spare, was able to recover quickly.

"She's not too bad! She might be able to fly us!" Cordelia's eyes sparked in excitement. She then held up her hand quickly, "Vulnerary!" She exclaimed softly.

I reached into the sack, and pulled out a bottle, tossing it to her. She lifted the container to Caeda's mouth, and began to pour its contents down the animal's throat. "Those things work on Pegasi?" I asked incredulously, watching her drop the empty bottle into a pouch on her belt. She nodded simply, stroking Caeda's mane tenderly. A few seconds later, the horse neighed in pain as the Vulnerary began to do its job. Then the red-head walked over again to inspect the wound. A smile on her face told me that it had worked.

"Let's go! We've got an army to catch!" She exclaimed, hopping up into the Pegasus' saddle. I jumped up behind her, grabbing a firm hold of her waist as the Pegasus left the ground. Gaining altitude, the wind began to toss my hair around, also letting Cordelia's hair flow freely into my face. "Where do you think they'd be?!" She shouted over the rush of air.

I leaned forward, resting my chin on her shoulder. "Knowing milord, I'd think they'd make a quick stop at Regna Ferox to make a plan with the Khans. Our safest bet is to probably head west, and hope to intercept them on their way back to the Ylissean-Plegian border." I answered, trying to make myself audible over the flap of wings and the oncoming wind. The clouds hung just above us, and the forest floor lay far below, so far away that I vowed to never look down again from this altitude. Gripping tighter onto Cordelia, I sated myself for the rest of the flight, and began praying that we'd run into the Shepherds somewhere between here and the border. And it had to be soon...

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About an hour from takeoff, we had flown near to the Plegian border. Vast, empty desert lay far below us as we continued to sail through the cloudless sky. Caeda had begun to show signs of exhaustion, as the Vulnerary had not fully healed her, but as she was, she might hold up until we found help.

"Man... The sun's hot today..." I sighed, wiping the hair out of my eyes, but it fell right back into place. "Except for being over a wasteland..."

"It's normally more... Cool and breezy this far up... Strange." Cordelia replied, still focused on the empty landscape in head of us. "That's the border. I wonder if they've already crossed?" She mused, leaning over the white neck of the Pegasus to get a batter view of the desert below.

"Not likely. It would have taken more than a day to continue the march to Ferox. Then another day to rally and begin to march back... They should get here tonight." I answered, wiping the sweat from my forehead. Cordelia had an amazing heat tolerance, as she hadn't broken a sweat yet. "Aren't you hot...? I mean, from the heat?"

"Hmm... Yes, I suppose I am, now that you mention it... Why?" She asked, turning her head to hear my reply.

"I'm sweating like a horse... Yet... You're not even affected by it?" I replied, rolling up my sleeves with my right hand.

"I guess not. I'm used to training in this type of heat. Pegasus Knights are always trained to tolerate any temperature on the battlefield." She adjusted herself on the saddle.

"That's... Cool, I guess." I let out a small smile, wishing for some dark, thick clouds right now. Or a light haze. Anything to lower the temperature...

"I'm going to fly north... Then I'll try to see if we can intercept them further up into the hills." She said as she pulled gently on the reigns, steering Caeda towards the direction she mentioned.

"Just hope those border guards didn't spot us... Plegia's known for their magical prowess..." I stated, scouring the land for any visible signs of activity.

"That would NOT be good for Caeda to be shot down again... I'm afraid that fall would be her last... Or ours..." She replied, patting the horse on her dirtied white shoulder.

"Do... You wanna fly lower then? We might not be as easy of a target for archers from lower to the ground..." I tried to reason, turning back to look up at her, but then something caught my eye. In a split second, I saw a group of warriors approaching from the north, a faint Ylissean emblem on their flag. To my left, I saw a flash of thunder ignite from a figure by the border we just passed. "Plegians!" I cried, gripping onto Cordelia. "Dive!"

Cordelia gasped in surprise, throwing the Pegasus into a fast dive. Thunder crackled above us, and a bolt if lightning came flying at us from the cloudless sky. Turning to look at the imminent danger, I lifted by head from scanning the desert floor. The electric bolt flew down from the sky, aimed right at the Pegasus' body. With a loud crackle, and the neigh of the horse, the bolt struck home... But ricocheted off of Caeda's armored body. Ducking to avoid being struck myself, I quickly recognized the magic. Arcthunder. It was tricky to dodge, yet was rather unpredictable. Pegasi like Caeda had much built up resistance towards magic like that... The only thing that could take down a flier was... "Wind magic! Darn it!" I yelled, gazing upon the streak of blue air that rushed towards us from the mages below. Nearing the ground, the Pegasus was prepared to land, but instead was thrown into a whirling kamikaze. The wind lifted the Pegasus straight out of the air, and hurled it towards the ground. Falling about 25 feet wasn't too bad... Unless you were a human. Cordelia and I hurled towards the ground, and time seemed to slow down as I tried to ready myself for impact. Closing my eyes, I expected the hard sand to meet my back like concrete.

But when I landed, it wasn't at all like I had thought. Gently, I was caught by something firm and strong... Like arms. Opening up my eyes, I saw Stahl looking over at me with a big grin on his face. "Gotcha!" He laughed, sitting me down on his horse behind him. Still thinking dazedly about the past few seconds, I smiled in relief.

"Thanks, man! That was close." I said, watching him move to put the horse into a gallop. The horse didn't move fast at all, finding it rather difficult to gain traction on the sand. "Where's Cordelia?" I asked, looking back to make sure the Plegian mages weren't in pursuit of us.

"She's over there. It's okay, Sumia caught her." He sighed, trying to urge his horse on. "It's a good thing the girl didn't trip this time." He kidded, smirking as he looked around for them. A sandstorm became to blow in from the east, and light clouds of sand began to limit our vision. A flap of wings, and a healthy Pegasus flew beside us.

"Got her! What's the plan?" Sumia asked Stahl, her light brown hair flowing gracefully to the side, crossing her face in the process. Her metallic white-pink armor caught the sun under cover of the sandstorm, glinting softly in the faint light.

"Take them both back! I'm stuck here... Can't move much." Stahl replied, raising his voice at the oncoming winds.

"W-What? But the Plegians are coming!" She cried in disbelief, turning around to aid us in fighting. "N-No, I'm staying here."

Stahl shot her a warning look, and she faltered. "I can take a few hits. I'll find Frederick, and we'll hold the line until the rest get here..."

"No! B-But..." Sumia stammered, trying to stand her ground. "You'll..."

"Ae'dyn, listen..." Cordelia urged, looking up from Sumia's Pegasus' back to try to reason with me.

"Just do it." I shot Sumia an equally cold glare, daring her to question me. I know it was a harsh thing to tell a pretty woman as hardy as her to do (especially when I had a crush on her...), but it had to be done. There was no way she and Cordelia could fight on just one Pegasus. Sumia sighed helplessly, closing her eyes in defeat. Tilting her head up towards the sky, her hair whipped around her face. "Now go! Before more mages arrive!" I added firmly. Without a word, the Pegasus took off, rising above the cloud of sand, and flying toward the rest of the Shepherds. Turning to Stahl, I hopped off the horse. "We've got this..."

He nodded in reply, smiling at my encouragement. Stahl and I had become excellent friends and almost invincible battle partners. He had known me to such an extent that he had even given me advice on everyday life numerous times before.

The shapes of the Plegian soldiers appeared vaguely in the sand, trudging towards us. Running as quickly as I could, I moved to intercept them. Stahl was right behind me, and the green-plated knight followed in step with his armored brown horse. Moving to strike the nearest Mage, I jumped forward, Ragnell meeting a shock of purple orbs. Slashing them aside, I strode forward to engage my foe. Opening the book to a different page, the sorcerer tried to utter a cry for help. He couldn't get another attack in, and decided to run from me... But instead he tripped and fell, impaled by my broad blade. Standing back up, I turned to look for the rest of our enemies.

Stahl was currently dueling with a spearman, attempting to parry his long-ranged strikes. I quickly leapt over to cover Stahl, who was about to be stabbed in the leg. Thrusting Ragnell forward, I blocked the attack, wrenching the soldier's lance from his hands. Taking advantage of the Plegian's defeat, Stahl swung Sol in a wide arc, reaching down from his mount to slice through the man's shoulder. Another down.

Turning to see of more followed, I glimpsed a flash of metal from above. Seeing the arrow flying towards me, my mind raced. "Ugh, not again!" I cried, realizing that it was too late to move. Then suddenly, a white blur ran by, taking the arrow with it. "NO!" I cried, rushing forward to see to my rescuer. "S-Sumia..." I muttered, jumping over the Pegasus' unresponsive body, as it lay limp on the sand.

"T-That was c-close..." She uttered, closing her eyes and wincing in pain. I then noticed that the arrow was protruding from her chest. "I-It doesn't... F-Feel g-good..." She whimpered feverishly, a single tear escaping from her eye.

"No! Darn it! I told you to stay at camp! Why didn't you..." I cried, then I began to feel a pang of guilt in my chest. "I-It's okay! I'm here..." I said as I knelt down next to the fallen Pegasus Knight. "You're not done yet! Fight it!" I cried as she opened her eyes painfully. Gazing down at the arrow, I saw that the sand below her was stained a horrible red, now pooling around her. "Oh, Jesus... Breathe, Sumia! Breathe! S-Stay with me, come on!"

"I-I... C-Can't... I-It's over..." She whispered through tears streaming down her face. "I-I'm so... C-Cold..." That line sent a shiver down my spine. This can't be happening! The nightmare can't come true with Sumia!

"No! Stay warm! Come on, Sumia! It's okay! I'm here! Stay... Alive... Please..." I began to cry, leaning down to brush the soft brown hair from her eyes. She lifted up her hand and grabbed hold of my arm as her chin began to quiver.

I turned to look over my shoulder. Stahl was fighting off three mercenaries, and Cordelia was busy throwing Javelins at nearby Mages aiming for Stahl. Then the archer that shot Sumia broke through the line, bow aimed at her again. "NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed, quickly grabbing Ragnell from the ground and violently hurling it with all my might at the killer. The blade struck, lodged in his chest, sending him careening backwards from the force of the blow. He fell limp just 10 feet from the dying Pegasus Knight.

Turning back to Sumia, I gripped her hand firmly. "Don't die! Sumia! Do you hear me?! Don't die!" I cried, watching her face as her eyes began to flutter closed. "Don't die, Sumia! Don't..." She gasped for air, her face beginning to pale. "CLERIC! I NEED A CLERIC!" Turning back to Sumia, I examined the arrow. It had flew straight into her chest, almost unimpeded by her armor, and striking her heart. "SUMIA!" I wailed, holding her cheek in desperation. I lay two fingers under her jaw to check her pulse. Nothing. ... Nothing at all. The color had left her, and she lay dead. Dead in my arms.

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**A/N:** *SNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFF*... I do apologize for that, Crimson. I really do. I know you just want to kill me, but I... I'm sorry. And–OH NO! IT'S CHROM! NONONONONO! I'M SORRY FOR KILLING OFF YOUR WIFE, CHROM! DON'T KILL ME! NOOOOOOOOOOO! ... Oh wait. Why are you crying? Chrom? Are you okay? Why are you... hugging me? Oh geez, I didn't know you were such a softie. Aw... this is precious. I've gotta savor this moment. Shh... It's okay, Chrom. She rests in peace... Shhhh... My shirt is soaked with tears now... Thanks Chrom. That was good. Okay, you can go sympathize with Cordelia now. *watches him sulk off towards the door dejectedly* Oh no wait don't! That's Ae'dyn's role! NO! You're gonna wreck the story! Get back here, you overgrown teddy bear! No! And stop that wailing, you're gonna wake up the whole neighborhood! ... Excuse me while I stop Chrom from ruining my devious shipping plan. Hehe... :) *turns and leaves, running yet again at another oblivious character*

-Shadow

**PS: I want to say a HUGE "THANK YOU!" to Lux Aureus for giving me the most helpful advice ever. Your suggestions helped me rethink this so much that I got completely re-motivated! Lux's story, "Potentia Amoris" is the best I've ever read concerning M!AvatarXCordelia. Make sure to check that out as well! As for the rest of you all: If you would like to make suggestions on where this story is going, or if you'd like for me to change this up a bit, by all means, let me know. Make sure to favorite and follow, everyone! Reviews are forever helpful! Thanks! :D**


	5. Chapter 5 - Fire

Chapter Five - Fire

I knelt there, protecting the beautiful corpse, with sword in hand, for the next few minutes. My world was shattered. I had no way to escape it, and I didn't know what at all to do.

"Someone called for a cleric?!" I heard a soft voice from behind me. Through tears, I looked up at the figure standing above me. I didn't recognize her, but she had long blonde hair and wore a white armored robe, with an axe in a sheath on her back.

"Y-Yes... Though I fear it's too... late..." I as said such words, my hatred from them surge though my body. I didn't want to acknowledge the fact it was true. Sumia was gone, gone because she saved me. Gone because... I had failed... It was the nightmare of death all over again. This was the price of failure.

"Fear not, sire! For I am a priest, and I feel that she is not deceased yet!" The woman pulled forth a staff with a swirling blue orb at the top, resting it just over Sumia's heart. "Of course, the impeding object must be removed before any saving will be done..."

I reached forward and grabbed hold of the arrow, tugging to pull it out of her chest. It wouldn't come out. Time was in short supply and it was running out. There was only so much time to save her; after all she had already stopped functioning. I pulled harder, and it still wouldn't budge. Resting my left hand on her chest, I pushed her body down as I gave one final tug with my right hand. With a gut-wrenching crunch of flesh, the arrow came out, causing a new stream of blood to flow, the red liquid spurting all over my face and arm.

"Oh, most exalted Father..." The Priestess muttered, pressing a towel against her chest to suppress the blood pouring out. "Hold that..." She sighed, reaching again for her healing staff. "Now let go, if you'd please. Lord please let this work!" She brought the staff over Sumia's heart again, this time murmuring a soft prayer. The blue orb at the end of the stave glowed, a lighter mist flowing out of the sphere. The healing began its life saving process, but the only way for it to work was if she wasn't too damaged. If she was still slightly alive, then the healing would work. I reached forward, cradling Sumia's head in my lap, praying for the healing to work. "It is finished... If she alive we will know now..." The Priestess bowed her head, dropping the stave to the red sand. "God... Naga... Please... Your will... Amen." I heard her mutter but a few words before the prayer ended.

Come on, Sumia... Come on! I bit my lip, tears still rolling down my cheeks. Lord Jesus… Naga… Please hear me… Looking up towards the sky, I uttered an agreement to whatever the Priestess just prayed. Gazing back down to the limp body of my friend, I continued the prayer for a miracle. After what seemed like hours, the Priestess lifted her head. "If any work was to be done... I-It would have been done... I-I am sorry, sir. I… I'm so sorry..." She stood soberly, trying her best to muffle some of the obvious emotion.

"N-No… God no..." I whispered, stroking Sumia's brown hair one final time. Closing my eyes, I sighed as I prepared to leave my friend... But then I felt a hand reach over to hold back my arm. I looked up to see the Priestess, who motioned for me to stay a while. I glanced back down as the Priestess left me there... Crying as I held the body of one of my best friends.

Sumia had cared for me from day one. From lending me books to baking pies for both me and Chrom, she had always been a true friend that was always there for me. ...and now she was gone. I began to feel the tears welling up in my eyes again, as I thought about the memories of us. The good times we had and the bad times we shared with each other. All of this was stripped from me by Plegia. They will pay…I swear they WILL pay! I vowed this promise of retribution to myself, as I felt the cold tears streak down my cheeks.

It was then that I felt something move. With a hope that I dared that was false, I opened my eyes in disbelief. Was I dreaming?! I lifted her head with my hand, pulling her closer to me. Resting my hand over her mouth, I felt her slowly breathing through her nose. "No way!" I cried, gasping in excitement as she began to regain a slow, inconsistent pulse. It was a miracle! I couldn't believe it!

She blinked her eyes softly open, tears staining her cheeks as she let out a soft moan. "A-Ae...'dyn...?" She moaned, turning her head to look into my eyes.

"S-Sumia? Sumia, is that you?!" I cried with joy. Emotions started surging throughout my body, as my pulse accelerated. My friend wasn't dead! She was a alive!

"W-Where a-am I...?" She whispered, the color faintly returning to her cheeks. "Why... a-are you... I in you're..." She blinked softly, trying to regain her vision. I felt like jumping for joy at that moment, feeling suddenly a million pounds lighter. "I-Is that... you, Ae'dyn?"

"Yes, Sumia it's me! Y-You... I thought you died!" I tried to hold back tears of joy, as I looked down at her calming dark brown eyes. They were sparkling in the bright light of the desert. "But now... Y-You're alive! I-I don't know how it can be... It's a miracle!" I exclaimed, smiling widely at her. She smiled back, and tried to take in her surroundings.

Sumia braced as she tried to stand, she braced herself for movement. I pulled her back down, calmly trying to explain. "You need to take it easy. I don't want you tripping over anything at this point. You are extremely fragile, and it'll take some time for you to recover. I'll take it from here..." I said as I picked her up and began to walk back towards the Shepherds.

"Why did you... Why?" She murmured, gazing up at me. She was still delirious from her injury.

"You saved me from death. It's only natural for me to try to save you..." I avoided eye contact, and focused on not tripping in the hot, thick sand. "Well... I called for a cleric, and a nearby Priestess did the healing..."

"But you called for help... Why... Why for m-me? I-I'm not–" She began again, closing her eyes in drowsiness.

"Don't you even start to say that, Sumia! I know you don't think any of us care about you. But the truth is we all do. I, especially, do. You are one of my... best friends, Sumia! A friend that's always been there for me, and always puts a smile on my face when I see you. That's why I couldn't let you go." I answered softly, feeling a warm blush fill my cheeks. I looked down to meet her sparkling dark eyes.

Her cheeks flushed a bright red in embarrassment as well, and she let out a soft sigh. "That helps... Thank you, Ae'dyn... Thank you for being you." She smiled, closing her eyes again as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Good night, Sumia." I smiled back, watching quietly as her eyes closed in tiredness.

I trudged on, finally coming across a small camp. Noticing the Ylissean emblem on a banner towards the front, I began to walk into the mass of organized tents. Stumbling inside the infirmary, I laid Sumia down on a bed to the back of the room.

"Ae'dyn! You're here! That's amazing! I never thought I'd see you again! Why is there blood on your face...?! Well, what happened there?" Lissa asked in shock, looking over my shoulder as I rested her head on a pillow. "Is she... hurt?" The blonde girl with high pigtails inquired.

"She almost died. If it weren't for a lovely Priestess, she would be far gone. Sumia would have been nothing but a lump of blood and flesh in the middle of a desert." I sighed, backing up from the cot. I had to admit I was relieved to see Lissa, she always tried to make things…happy

Lissa raised an eyebrow in interest. "Whoa, that's incredible! Good thing she was nearby! That would have been devastating..." She sympathized, the smile fading from her lips as she uttered the last sentence. "A Priestess, huh? I wasn't aware that one joined the army." Lissa asked me in wonder.

"Yeah... She had long blonde hair with a white armored robe... Looked to be a Killer Axe on her back–" I explained but was cut off by a loud sound of realization coming from my younger companion.

"Ohhhhhhhh!" Lissa laughed, smiling from ear to ear in exasperation. "That's Libra. It may not seem like it, but SHE is a HE!" She corrected me, emphasizing the last word. "He joined our group after we made it across the Plegian desert. He has an undying faithfulness to Emm... And he... Well..." I wondered why Lissa looked really troubled now?

"Go on." I urged, expecting more from Lissa than what she had already shared. "Uh... M-My... Emmerynistobeexecutedtomorrow!" She blurted out the words, collapsing onto my shoulder. I didn't understand a thing she said, but she began to sob quite suddenly, and cried there for what seemed to be an eternity.

Breaking the silence, I stepped forward to look at the other patients in the room. Lissa sniffed a final time, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "I-I'm sorry, Ae'dyn. I really need to get over the whole crying thing..." She explained as she too, looked at the other patients.

"No no! It's totally fine!" I smiled sympathetically, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm guessing that I'll need to come up with a strategy for Chrom–" Then I saw something, I really wish I didn't see.

Then my eyes crossed over a cot to the far side of the infirmary. The figure had a beautiful face, and red hair lay across her head like a crimson shawl. I gasped in surprise, hurrying over to get a closer look. "W-What happened to Cordelia?" I asked in shock, turning back to look to see if Lissa was following.

"Oh, you're traveling buddy?" She grinned brightly, turning to look at Cordelia's stiff form, lying in the bed. "She got hit with a throwing axe in the leg. It cut pretty deep, and almost cut off her whole side of her thigh... It was nasty, blood was everywhe–"

"Oookay! That's great to know, thanks Lissa. That's too much information, thank you." I smiled uneasily. "So did a staff do the trick?"

Lissa nodded eagerly, smiling in delight. "Yea... She's still unconscious though. She should be ready for action tomorrow. But right now she just needs some rest..." I nodded in response, turning to leave the tent before an excited voice called out to me. "Where are you going now?"

"Well, I need to thank Libra for saving Sumia's life and I should probably thank Stahl for bringing Corde–" I began but was once again cut off by the higher pitched voice of the princess of Ylisse.

"Oh, it wasn't Stahl. I-It was Lon'qu." She grinned sheepishly. "He brought her back because Frederick needed Stahl's help carrying her Pegasus back to camp. They dispatched all the Plegian border guards in hiding that we missed, mind you."

I gave a sigh of relief, and then I set off to find the two gentlemen. "Thanks for the info, Lissa! I'll see you at the mess hall for dinner." I nodded goodbye and she waved excitedly back, she quickly disappeared back into the infirmary tent. How...? Why...? Did Lon'qu... Do that? I wondered incredulously.

* * *

It was nearing sundown, and I had yet to find the two men I had sought out to find... Looking around, I tried to pick out a familiar face.

Upon seeing the knight in green armor with maple hair, I ran to meet him. "Hey Stahl!" I called out, dashing to intercept my friend on his way to the mess hall.

Stahl turned on hearing his name, and smiled when he saw me. "Hey, Ae'dyn it's nice to see you again!" He replied, giving me a soft salute. "Coming to dinner?" He asked, continuing his walk towards the food that was perpetually calling his name. "I'm really hungry... Haven't eaten in at least half an hour..."

"Well... I guess I could be headed that way. But more importantly, have you seen Lon'qu?" I asked, turning to look around at the camp to prove my point.

"Not recently... I saw him a while ago after that small skirmish. He might be over in the infirmary. That's the where I saw him walking to." Stahl shrugged, gazing back to the large white tent behind us.

"I just came from there a little bit ago..." I answered, deciding to change the subject. "On the other hand, have you seen Gaius? I have a favor to ask him."

"Yes, he was juuuuuust..." Stahl tried to reply, gazing at our surroundings for the thieving candy-addict. I guess he wasn't around here anymore?

Suddenly, an orange head popped into my view, cape flowing softly behind him. "Sup, Bubbles. You have need of your ol' friend Gaius?" He asked, twirling a lollipop on his hand. The dude was probably going to die of diabetes before the war got to him... he smirked, popping the candy in his mouth without hesitation.

"Gaius, we're about to eat!" I responded, staring in disbelief at his behavior. Rolling my eyes as he shrugged his reply, I continued on with my question. "Well, how good are you as a spy?"

"Hmm... I suppose it's not my strongest, but I'd give it a try. Why's that, Bubbles?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as he waited for my response.

"I need you to spy on someone for me." My voice dropped to a whisper, and Gaius leaned in closer. "You see that girl in the dark clothes and the Plegian robe?" At Gaius' nod, I continued, "She's been following me ever since I got back. Can you sneak around and make sure she's not up to no good?" I asked, turning my head to look the orange-haired man's expression.

"Can do, Bubbles! I'll make sure your stalker is stalked with much diligence. She shall not spy on you any longer!" He grinned eagerly. "...Of course, this operation begins after dinner, right?" He asked, trying to keep a light face.

"Sure, just don't take too long." I shrugged, turning my attention to Stahl, who was now mumbling something in between groans on agony. "Stahl...? You okay?"

"Yeah! What's up, Cowlick?" Gaius questioned, looking over to try to read into the knight's face. "What's eatin' ya?"

Stahl looked over with a grim expression, frowning on his new nickname. "It's not eating me! I'm not eating IT! Ugh!" He moaned, closing his eyes as we approached the mess hall.

"Say, Cowlick, what's with your constant need to eat?" Gaius prodded, still focusing on the distraught Cavalier.

"I'm hungry, okay? I always am! Don't know why, but I LOVE food!" Stahl paused for a second before continuing. "...Say, Tango, what's your obsession with candy all about?" He frowned, coining a new nickname for Gaius in return.

"T-T-Tango?!" Gaius exclaimed, clearly disapproving of his new title. "Now see here, you horse-loving, cow licking... glut! It's not candy! Its sweets! Correct words can make a man more correct!"

"Thanks for that startling revelation, O' great sage Gaius! Yet you failed to answer my question!" Stahl raised his voice, which was rare, especially around camp. Gaius remained quiet, content on not giving an answer. Then realizing that we were in the line for food, his attention snapped, and he began to sniff the air in a quick manner. "...Ugh. It smells... Like... Smells like rutabaga soup again. Not that I won't eat it, but it isn't the best thing this army cooks. Doesn't smell like Sumia's cooking, though..." He stated, still sniffing the air in anticipation.

The words rang out like a gong. I suddenly felt a pang through my heart as I recalled Sumia's incident. I remembered pulling the arrow out of her chest. The tear of flesh and the warm spat of blood on my face…the tears in my eyes as I sat in utter distress. I shivered, feeling my mouth begin to dry up. My nose began to run, and I quickly grabbed a seat in a table outside of the food line. Resting my head down between my knees, I closed my eyes as I tried to get the thought of tugging on the arrow, out of my mind.

Stahl and Gaius turned around to look at me, alarmed at my sudden posture. "Hey... Are you okay?" Stahl asked, grabbing my shoulder as he looked down at me through questioning eyes. "Ae'dyn?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit... Tired though..." I muttered as I tried to stay focused. Stahl nodded, and instantly returned to the line beside Gaius, leaving me to my own thoughts. Stumbling to my feet, I groggily made my way to my tent. Everybody I saw looked at me in concern, but none came to help me.

As soon as I'd made it about fifty paces away from the tent, I collapsed into darkness, feeling the cold engulf me like a blanket in reverse. Hitting the ground with a loud BOOM, I was out cold again, but at least I was with friends this time.

* * *

I awoke a second later, my head feeling very fuzzy and sore. W-Where am I? I asked myself, trying to look around. It appeared that I was back in the infirmary. However, this time in my own cot? Odd, I don't remember coming back here. Hastily, I tried to sit up. Feeling the blood rush to my head, it began to feel extremely painful. The splitting headache tore through my brain as I tried to focus on my surroundings. "Aaah... Ngh..." I winced at the migraine, trying to pick out elements that I recognized throughout the room. Then I saw a blonde girl in a dress run up to me, her high pigtails swaying as she strode across the room.

"Ae'dyn! Lie back down!" Lissa yelled, scolding me for sitting up so fast. I must have hit my head pretty hard, because it was at that moment that I realized I had gauze wrapped around my cranium.

"W-Why am I... Ngh... H-Here?" I asked, reluctantly flopping back down onto the bed. The headache eased slightly, but it still throbbed painfully. Gods, Lissa voice was so loud. It wasn't making anything better.

"You passed out by the mess hall, and Stahl brought you here. Apparently you hit the ground head-first... and kind of bashed up your head there." She replied, grimacing as she looked at my once-white bandages. "It was a mess trying to clean you up. You had gashes all over your forehead and a huge bruise from a rock on this side..." She continued, gesturing to my head as she articulated my condition.

"Um... Thanks?" I winced, gritting my teeth as the pain swelled again. "W-Where's Stahl? Did I miss dinner?" I asked, looking around as best as I could without moving my head.

"He went to go eat, once I made sure you were okay. My staff is broken, so I sent Maribelle to get me another one..." Lissa shrugged. "I got you some dinner, though!" She smiled as she held up a bowl of... Rutabaga soup... Ugh… My favorite.

I sighed gently as I forced a smile. "Thanks, Lissa!" I tried to cheerfully reply. "Do you know who made dinner today? I-It smells...d-divine!" I added sarcastically, though trying my best not to let it show. Lissa smiled again as she handed the bowl to me, then retracted it, smile quickly fading. "What's wrong?" Oh, gods this is going to be something from Sumia's novels isn't it?

"Well... You can't sit up to eat. Not until I fix your noggin. So, someone's going to have to feed you." Lissa shrugged, looking around the room to prove her point. "Our master chef was Maribelle with the assistance of Lon'qu. He peeled the potatoes." She smirked, turning her gaze back to me.

"M-Maribelle? I would have thought that she would have made something more–" I began, but regained my train of thought. "I-I mean, wouldn't she have prepared something more... I don't know... Fancy? Maybe even tasti– Um... more noble?" I asked, looking regretfully at the bowl of soup in Lissa's hands. Oh, gods this is going to be horrible isn't it? Why do I hear footsteps?

"What did you say about MY soup?" It came from a soft, elegant voice from the other side of the tent. Oh. Crap. I instantly recognized the voice as Maribelle herself. "It's lovely, I assure you, Ae'dyn. Now remember your rightful place! The soup is there as a way of putting food in your stomach, and therefore energy in your body! It is not something to be taken lightly!" Maribelle scolded, and I heard her footsteps getting closer as she walked up to my cot. Maribelle was a noble who couldn't stand anything common. Her hair was blonde like Lissa's, but it was curled heavily at the ends, and she tied it up with big pink bows. She had tried to teach me multiple times about etiquette. But I became bored somewhere around half-way, and usually dozed off. Then I would wake up to her usual ranting about me not paying attention. She wasn't the most fun person to be around, but she was definitely the most routinely meticulous. There was no other word for it.

"I-It's not the soup!" I stammered, looking for the right wording. "It's that I never thought you to cook... Rutabaga..."

Maribelle gasped in shock. "I am offended! Rutabaga is simply the most divine food you find anywhere in this blasted world! I'll have you know I... I..." She trailed off, turning suddenly to Lissa. "Here is your staff, Milady. Do use it well and smack some sense into this low-class buffoon while you're at it!" She snorted as she huffed off, yanking her pink umbrella open as she walked quickly outside.

Lissa shook her head. "That girl..." She sighed, turning to set my soup on a nearby table. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with her..." She smirked, turning back to me as she readied the staff. Reaching forward, she unwrap my bandages around my forehead. "This shouldn't hurt...much" She stated as she cleared away the last wrap of gauze from my head. "Though the headache MIGHT increase... slightly." She waved the stave over my head, muttering a prayer as the orb on the end of the staff glowed a bright blue. Green mist fogged my vision as I felt the recover working.

Closing my eyes, I felt a strong sting through my entire brain, feeling as if I was being slashed by a dozen sharp swords at once. I gritted my teeth, bracing myself as my headache increased, and the pain shot down my spine. "Aaaaaaaa..." I groaned, clenching my teeth as the staff ran its course. I felt myself breaking into a sweat as the mist coldly descended on my like a blanket of vapor. Then the pain stopped, and I found myself gasping for air, turning painfully to my side to watch Lissa.

She pulled back the stave, holding it firmly behind her back. "Now! How do you feel?" She grinned, looking expectantly down at me.

I turned to look upwards, smirking as best as I could. "... Better I suppose..." came my answer. I slowly sat up, now taking a clear look at my surroundings. Gazing at the other cots, I saw Cordelia and Sumia still unconscious, in the exact position I had left them in. Then I turned to see Stahl by the tent entrance. I smiled at him brightly, swinging my legs over as if to get up and greet him. "Stahl! How was dinner?"

"Oh... Okay, I suppose. The talk was excellent." He grinned, surprisingly not talking about the food. "And the... Uh... Soup was not exactly good. But it'll do!" He said as he gazed off into the room. "Lon'qu wants to meet with you and me. He said we need to continue our sword practice since we haven't had time ever since you disappeared back in the mountains."

"Alright I'm coming!" I answered, jumping to my feet and stumbling forward. Taking a quick glance at the soup Lissa had gotten me, I was glad she wasn't making me eat it. It looked like a yellow, liquidly substance, mixed with chunks of potatoes, pink blobs, and orange specks of carrots. I was glad I didn't have to taste how bad it was, as it looked appalling...

"Oh no, do you think I let you go? Get back here!" Lissa shouted at me as I was almost to the door. "You need to eat your dinner!" She snapped, pointing for me to sit down again. Sighing deeply, I groaned and turned back to the small girl holding my bowl. Just when I thought I had escaped fate...

* * *

Thick, transparent, lukewarm broth trickled down my throat as I downed the last few spoonful of the soup. Chunks of potato, overcooked rutabaga, and some form of pale mushroom filled my mouth. Slurping down the last gulp of my dinner, I swallowed quickly, trying to restrain myself from grimacing at the unpleasant texture. One thing was for sure: Maribelle had no idea what kind of broth she put in there, or how to prepare this kind of –Mushrooms– If that was what they were. Rutabaga was obviously not her best thing at preparing, though she claimed otherwise.

"Okay!" Lissa grinned, standing over me like a younger mother. "Now you can go, I suppose. If you have any problems, come straight back here, you hear?" She asked, a slight frown crossing her face as she stared at me with expectancy.

I raised an eyebrow and began to stand up as I have my reply. "Well... Okay but I–"

"YOU HEAR?" Lissa asked again, this time raising my voice in annoyance. "No buts, Ae'dyn! You aren't getting hurt again, mister!"

"Y-Yes, Lissa." I answered reluctantly. I heard her murmur something under her breath, but decided to ignore it. Standing upright, I walked over to Stahl who was still standing in silence by the entrance to the tent. "And..." I began, turning to look back at the blonde haired girl, who was now standing over a deathly unconscious Sumia. "...Thank you, Lissa; for all your help and care."

"Don't mention it! Now be off!" Lissa turned after a second and waved her hands to shoo me away. She muttered something else, and tugged lightly on her pigtails in clear annoyance.

Turning to Stahl, we departed the tent and began to walk towards the training arena. "So what did I miss while I was lost?" I asked, looking up at the brown haired Paladin through a fringe of turquoise hair. "You know in the mountains?"

Stahl began hesitantly, opening his mouth to say something, but quickly suppressing the thought. He looked over at me in concern, a forlorn look in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Nodding my head, I couldn't help but feel confused. "W-What do you mean?" Looking back down to the cobblestone path in front of me, and watching my boots scuff the rocks below.

"Well... I suppose the biggest thing that happened is that Emmeryn returned to the capital. We– Uh... Chrom tried to stop her, but she went anyway. The people need her..." He looked down at the ground. Then clearing his throat, he turned back up to look at me. "It was when we made the connecting march north that we found out from the ruler of Ferox, Khan Basilio that... ." His voice caught in his throat, and he dreamily gazed off in the direction of the snow-capped mountains in the mist. "... The Exalt is to be executed tomorrow."

"H-How?" I asked feverishly. Emotion filled my mind as I tried to continue walking. "All my memories of life and all..." I muttered, feeling quite depressed, if Ylisse was to be destroyed... What then? What was I to do...?

"Gangrel breached the border, and set up archers around the walls. Every Pegasus knight that tried to defend... Was shot down..." Stahl continued. "We found out from Phila that she had her knights hold the border just in case and they straggled to put up any defense anyway. They were slaughter in doves."

"So... When do we reach the border? Am I to come up with a strategy? Does Chrom need me, or are we marching into this blindly?" I asked, my thoughts pouring out of my mouth like a waterfall.

"Chrom needs you. He needs all of us." He looked up at me with a stern look on his face. His eyebrows furrowed with a hint of malice, and he sighed deeply as he began again. "Chrom doesn't care about a plan. He just wants to save Emm. But we can't afford to run into this blindly. Frederick told me that he needs to meet with you in the strategy tent in a few hours. I think he said around eight o'clock..."

"Oh, fun..." I remarked sarcastically. If I failed this task... I would fail Chrom... I would fail the Shepherds... I would fail Ylisse. Straightening my back, I realized we were almost at the arena. Sighing, I turned to look back at Stahl. "...And the border?"

At that, Stahl turned and looked me dead in the eye. Eyes wide, he stared into mine, halting our walk. Opening his mouth slowly, he closed his eyes. The situation had just become complicated; and four words escaped his mouth. Four words I will never forget…

"There is no border."

* * *

**A/N: **_So there we have it. The prelude to how we get back on track to the game. I'm sorry for those of you who actually enjoyed Sumia's death. I felt bad, and there was a way to make it up. If you sick-minded people want death, trust me, you'll get plenty of death in the coming chapters. I look forward to all your reviews! It __really makes my day when someone leaves one! Whether criticism, good or bad, I'll take it with enthusiasm, and use it all as an opportunity to grow! Thanks once again!_


	6. Chapter 6 - Dilemmas

Chapter Six - Dilemmas

* * *

"Hyaaaa!" A shout rang out, silver blade streaking towards me at blinding speed. Hurriedly, I raised my sword in an attempt to parry the assault, but I lost grip, and the sword clattered to the ground as it left my gloved hands. Staring dazedly down at the ground, I tried to recall the last half-second. Looking back up, I met the eyes of the dark-brown haired swordsman. He wore a soft smirk as he looked pitifully at me.

"Well then..." I mumbled, heading to walk towards the bench on the side of the arena. Stahl was up next...

"No." Came the deep voice from beside of me. Lon'qu bent down and picked up my sword, throwing it into the air to catch it by the hilt. Holding it out for me to take, and regained his poise. "Try again."

I studied the sword for a moment. It was silver, a bit thicker than most swords, and had dark blue steel frame on the inside that showed in between the two sides of the blade, which eventually joined back into the tip of the blade. From what the blacksmith had said, it was called a Brave Sword. Hesitantly taking the blue-hilted sword from his hand, I raised the blade towards my shoulder, bracing myself for another bout. The weapon was much lighter than most, allowing quick and numerous strikes, but therefore lacked in power because there was little forceful weight to the blade itself.

"En garde." I smirked, daring Lon'qu to strike first. Rolling his eyes, the Myrmidon lunged forward, closing the distance between us in a split-second. Dodging to the side, I raised the sword, slashing out at my attacker.

_Sword met air. Counter to the right... Air again._

_Dodge a wide arc to the left. Parry his secondary blow... Envy his incredible speed._

_Slash out into the air again, connecting with his blade. Slide to behind. Twirl. Slash in a low arc. Sidestep from an incoming vertical slash._

_Stab forward, lean to dodge counter. Twirl sword back in hand. Strike backhand, block his stab. Turn to reposition, strike again._

_Lunge forward, target chest. Narrow miss, hits armor, doesn't affect opponent. Slice to the right, retract and stab to the left. Duck from a high blow, thrust sword into his own._

_Stand up, leap forward. Slam sword into chest... Meet block by his own sword. Twirl to evade a well placed counter. Slice to arm. Circle wide to avoid impending attack. Lunge to avoid counter. Jump to force him back, bring sword down into his own. Push back, slice again. Hit shoulder, keep on with assault. Twist to the right. Stab to the left. Slice the air from left to right. Circle to left, block his failed attempt at attacking. Step forward and–_

My thoughts were broken up by the loud and startling sound of metal on metal. Lon'qu grunted as he lunged towards me, sword flailing high to lock with mine. In a desperate attempt to parry his onslaught, I pushed back, but nothing gave way so I twisted to the side and broke free… Only to receive a deep slice to the ribs. Knees hit the cold arena ground as I collapsed in defeat.

Sheathing his thinly curved red sword, Lon'qu turned to face me again. He held out his hand to help me up, with a small grin. "Well done. You've potential." As curt as ever. I thought, grasping his hand as I was pulled back to my feet.

The cut stung and my tunic was now stained in cold red liquid. The cool night air swept around me like a light blanket, blowing the turquoise, sweat-soaked hair out of my eyes. Stumbling over to the bench, I panted as I gave Stahl a lethargic high five. He smiled in reply, nodding his approval. "...Nicely done! You almost had him too..."

"He... Had me... Beat from the... Start." I said in between gasps for air. Turning to face him, I managed to smile through the striking pain. I clapped Stahl on the back as Lon'qu grabbed another sword from its sheath. "...Your turn." I let out a soft laugh, trying to do so without panting. Stahl moaned slightly, then reluctantly stood upright, marching over towards our sword instructor. Smiling to myself, I wiped the sweat from my forehead using my loose blue sleeve. If only Stahl had half the speed of that cat. I thought as I watched Lon'qu toss a shaking Stahl another steel sword.

Suddenly, a soft voice interrupted my thoughts. "Having fun?" Said the all-too-familiar feminine voice. Turning to look up at the brown haired girl standing above me, I brushed my fringe out of my eyes... But it went right back. Not caring, and looking back up into the girl's face, I tried to figure out who it was in this low torch-lit lighting.

"Sumia." I smiled warmly. "I'm trying. How about you? Are you recovering well?" I asked in reply, seeing a faint smirk cross her face as well. She sat down beside me and gazed out at the arena to observe the two sparring men. By the looks of it, Stahl was in a bit of a pickle...

"Good... Still get a few pains in my chest from being shot, but... other than that I'm doing you!" She stopped mid-sentence and realized her mistake. "I mean me! W-Wait! No... I-I mean... W-Well this is awkward... Ugh! I-I'm doing great! Thanks for asking!" She stammered, closing her eyes tightly as she mentally scolded herself. Suddenly, she winced, and let out a cry. Doubling over, she clutched at her chest in pain.

"Good heavens, Sumia! Are you okay?" I asked in surprise. "I-It's that bad...? If you want, I can–" My words stuck in my throat as I remembered the crunching of flesh as I yanked out the arrow from deep in her chest. I cringed as I felt the blood splatter onto my face as if I was reliving it. I groaned as I opened my eyes, trying my best to get the horrible sound out of my ears. It seemed to constantly echo like a haunting memory. "C-Can..."

"I-I'm fine... J-Just another pain burst... I'm okay." She forced a smile and sat back up. But when she noticed the painful expression on my face, her smile quickly faded. "Ae'dyn... What's wrong with you?"

"N-Nothing... I-I'm just..." I fumbled with the words, trying to snap myself from the horrid scene. "Ugh... It hurt... The arrow... S-Sumia..." I shivered, averting my gaze from her pretty face. It hurt to even look in her direction in moments like these. "I-I'm... Sorry..." I cried softly, wanting to retreat back to my tent in fear of that terrifying memory.

"It's okay. I-I'm here. You're okay." Sumia tried to calm me down, but those words had been the same that I had used... I choked back tears at her voice… "But I'm sorry, I need to go. I need to tend to my pegasus. Uh…" She got up and looked over her shoulder at me, smiling nervously. "Bye!"

I sulked in defeat. _Was I ever going to get past this?_

...

* * *

...

"Ae'dyn!"

The voice rang in my head. Where was I? It was a light fog… and I couldn't see what was happening. Was I dreaming–?

Suddenly, my body shook violently. "AE'DYN!" I snapped awake, eyes flying open as firm hands grabbed me like a pair of vice grips. "WAKE UP!" Chrom yelled as he was standing above me, shaking the daylights out of my poor body.

"I'm up! I'm up!" I groaned. I guess I had fallen asleep on that bench… Chrom stopped shaking me, and proceeded to drag me right off of the bench. "OW! What the heck, Chrom?" I shouted as my head smacked the stone floor of the arena. Pain shot through my head, and I could barely focus.

"Emmeryn's going to be dead! You can't afford to sleep in!" Chrom replied, walking towards the camp, which meant dragging me over rocks and dirt.

"Okay! I get it, just let me go!" I wailed, feeling the grass attempting to burn through my pants. Chrom plopped me down, and I scrambled to my feet. "Naga!" I muttered, straightening my tunic. "Why the rush?" I asked, walking after Chrom, tucking my tunic into the sash around my waist.

"According to Flavia, Gangrel is going to execute my sister this morning!" Chrom replied briskly, not bothering to look back. "The camp's almost packed up, and here you are… Sleeping in for Naga's sake!"

"Can a man not have a decent night's sleep for once in his life?" I moaned, finishing dusting myself off. Camp was in sight, but all of our tents had been packed away into the caravan already.

"When someone dear to me is about to die…" Chrom looked over his shoulder, but didn't glance at me. "No."

"Well, do we have a plan?" I asked, laughing nervously.

"Did you not hear yesterday?!" Chrom asked incredulously, still walking fast. "Frederick wanted to meet with you before the crack of dawn! We need a plan!" He turned to face me finally, obviously upset. "We need a tactician! And yet you sleep in."

"I'm sorry, Chrom. I messed up. I'll come up with a strategy on the way there!" I said quickly.

"No, I need you to help with the caravan first. Once we're on the road, you can plan." Chrom walked away towards Frederick, leaving me standing by the smoldering bonfire, which had just been put out. I shook my head, turning to help Miriel with the caravan.

"Oh, Ae'dyn. A pleasure." Miriel said monotonously. "I have no current need of your assistance, but your tent is at the rear, so if you would approve, we can set it up here."

"Okay. I'll go grab that then. Thanks, Miriel." I nodded, then ran back to grab my rolled up tent from the ground. It was the only thing yet to be placed on the caravan. I hauled it back over to the wagon where Miriel had been, then set it down inside, next to some others.

"Fascinating." I heard a voice come from behind me. I turned in surprise to see who it was, but saw no one but Miriel, looking down at a book she was holding. "It took you over fifteen seconds to grab your tent. An average human being takes no more than twelve seconds. Are you feeling alright, might I inquire?" She asked.

I closed my eyes in mild amusement, turning to walk along with the rest of the Shepherds, who had started to advance forward. "I'm fine, Miriel. Just tired." I muttered in reply. Then I ran off towards the rest of the marching soldiers, leaving her standing awestruck in my dust.

I pulled a bag out of one wagon, looking through it to find a book. Once I found it after much digging, I pulled it out, pushing the rest of the bag into place. I flipped open the first few pages of the strategy book. Reading carefully as I continued to walk in time with the rest of the army, I skimmed over the pages, trying to formulate a strategy to help save the Exalt.

_...The key to success is not always obvious. Look to advantages in the enemy to help formulate a plan for yourself. Whatever weakness made available will always work to your advantage._

_Should the enemy see this in you, prepare for your own weakness to be exploited. If necessary, brute force will rout the enemy's morale. Soon the only men on the field will be yours. The strategies that follow will be exemplified in order._

_Skimming over the next few pages, I tried to find something useful for our current situation. Then my eyes fell on something that seemed to hit me like a punch below the waist._

_...The winning strategy concedes self-sacrifice. It is up to you to make the sacrifice play._

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. Dear God... Naga, what are you trying to tell me...? I sighed and began to read again.

_Though, should you happen to run into–_

"Ae'dyn–!" Thump! My head and shoulder smashed into something metallic, and the book collapsed in my hands. Something fell quite loudly, and I instantly looked up to see Cordelia on the ground in front of me.

Gazing at her in shock, I reached out my hand to help her up. She smiled wryly, gripping on and returned to her feet. "I'm so sorry about that..." I said in apology, looking up into her crimson eyes to find something that revealed... anything.

"It's fine! I've had worse falls." She replied, dusting herself off as her hair blew softly in the breeze. I stood mesmerized by her form, for some reason was unable to take my eyes off of her. Shaking my head I turned away right as she looked over at me. "Well come on! Keep walking!" She grinned, taking my hand and leading me forward. Once I caught up to her side, she began to talk softly. "So... Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" She asked, repositioning her shoulder pad as we walked side-by-side through the sand.

"Well... I'm fed up with life for a while." I answered grimly. She looked over at me in confusion, tilting her head slightly as if to ask why. "Look... I've had some feelings… and I'm pretty sure they're all but useless." I hinted, hoping she'd get the point.

"Ah." She said simply, turning to look at the barren landscape around us. Mountains rose in the background, signifying the border. We had all but left the grass at camp behind. "That's..." Cordelia murmured, looking back at me with concern. "Who does that involve? ...I-If you don't mind me asking...?"

"Well... She... I..." I stuttered, trying to put my thought process into words. "Gosh... How do I say this...?" I muttered beneath my teeth, looking wearily up at the path that lay ahead of us. "Look... I..." Sighing as I made up my mind to tell her, preparing to spill the beans. Leaning in, so as not to let anyone else hear, I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I've had a crush on Sumia forever, and… Well, I just can't talk around her. I don't know what it is. I feel like I can't even be myself." I looked up at Cordelia, who was obviously excited, her eyes widening in shock. "Why?" I asked, noticing her face brightening up quite a bit.

"That's..." She smiled, brushing the hair from her eyes. "I never knew you... Felt that way..." She seemed to not hear my side of the story at all, and was now musing about Sumia's love life. "That's great! … Well, that is, uh…"

"Cordelia..." I began, turning to look into her eyes as best as I could without loosing my composure. "Can you help me? I feel like I just can't win her heart, and I need your help…" She loosened a bit, seemingly stifling a giggle.

"Sure! Anything to help you!" She smiled, resting her hand on my shoulder. "Anything else you want to tell me? We have another few hours..." She stated, holding up her hand to emphasize her point. Someone was sure excited.

"O-Okay... But I also need to work up a strategy. Mind if we take a ride?" I asked, trying to hint at her Pegasus. She turned and untied Caeda from the caravan, jumping into the saddle. Holding out her hand, she helped me climb up onto the winged horse, sitting me behind her. We took off into the sky, a relieving wind tossing my sweat-soaked hair to the side. Grabbing my book with my left hand, I continued to read, gripping tightly onto her waist with my right hand. _I need to come up with a winning strategy. There has to be a way. We must save Emmeryn. Even if I have to make that sacrifice play..._

* * *

**A/N:** Here we go. The tension builds again.

So in this chapter, we have the training battle between the infamous Lon'qu and the struggling Ae'dyn. And then Sumia talks to him after the duel, and leaves suddenly. Ae'dyn starts to doubt himself, and falls asleep. The Shepherds move out the next morning, after Ae'dyn is rudely awakened by Chrom. Then he runs into Cordelia, and he starts planning the strategy to save Emmeryn.

Thanks to Gokart48 and Lux Aureus for the major help and the inspiration! Do them a favor, and make sure to check out their amazing stories.

I hope to be putting up the next chapter within a week. Thanks for following and reviewing. All of your suggestions and comments are really helpful; more so than I can express. And as always,

Have a wonderful day!

-Shadow


	7. Chapter 7 - Failure

**Oh my God, it has been forever since I have updated this story! I know it isn't very formal of me, but I deeply apologize, especially for all of you who really helped me think this through. A lot of you were craving for another update, and you never got it. This is all my fault. I have nothing to blame. **

**Sadly, my computer had issues, and I had to replace the hard drive. For those of you who have had to go through that, you know what that entails. Needless to say, my life has been extremely crazy, and I am trying my best to organize myself. (This story is not good proof of that.) Before I end this, I just want to thank you all for your extreme patience and loyalty. It really means a TON that you would still be faithful enough to read this, even though it's been SEVEN+ MONTHS since the last update. I'll shut up now and let you read.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

\- Chapter Five -

Failure

"Ae'dyn..."

...

"Ae'dyn?"

... So comfortable. I don't want to move...

"Ae'dyn! Wake up!"

"Strategy! Where are they!?" I exclaimed, jolting myself up from my sleep. I wiped my eyes with my sleeves, after yawning deeply. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. I wasn't on the Pegasus... No Shepherds were around... And I was lying on the ground? Turning to a knight standing over me, I noticed that she was smiling slyly. "...Whoa... D-Did I miss... Something?" I asked watching her eyes sparkle on apparent excitement. "Uh... C-Cordelia...? Why are you grinning like... That?" I stammered, looking over her shoulder to the landscape once again.

"Come on." She said, slightly creepily. The words sent shivers up my spine. What is going on? "Come with me." She added, smiling mischievously as she grabbed my hand suddenly, and pulled me up. Still in utter shock, I tried to follow, eyes still misty from my apparent slumber.

"Where are we going? What is wrong with you?!" I asked sharply. She turned to face me with a whip of red hair. POW! Her fist slammed into my cheekbone, sending me reeling backwards. "OWWW! What the...?! What was that for?!" I cried in disbelief. She stared at me icily, then turned to huff off. Dang, that HURT... I got up quickly, running after her. "What's wrong with you, now?" I asked incredulously, almost reliving the Sumia sequence all over again.

"Caeda's gone. The caravan's gone. ...They're gone." She cried, staring dazedly at the border just beyond us. She clenched her jaw, and I heard the slight clamp of metal-on-metal as she tightened her fist. Oh boy...

"So you... Hit me?" I asked, watching as she turned immediately. Fearing she might do so again, I braced myself. But nothing came. I opened my eyes to see her gasping in shock.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I didn't realize I punched YOU... Oh... I'm SO sorry!" She said, covering her mouth with both hands. Then turning to focus yet again, she regained her composure. Making sure I was okay, she rested a hand on my shoulder, stepping back to do so.

I must have been sleeping for more time than I thought, for the glint of armor and a faint Ylissean banner could be seen about a half mile off. Cordelia muttered between clenched teeth to me, brushing a stray crimson fringe out of her eyes. "They're too far ahead. ... But let's go." Confused, I decided to follow her, feet scuffing through the sand as we dashed towards the Shepherds, who were about to breach the border.

Looking to my right, I saw a robed Mage jump out from behind a boulder, hand pointed at us. "Plegians! Look out!" I cried, tackling Cordelia as the Mage shot a ball of fire right over our heads. I could feel the heat sting my back, and the fireball crashed into a sand dune about twenty-five paces away. Stumbling back to my feet, I reached out and grabbed Cordelia, forcing her to stand. She yanked her lance from its sheath on her back, and she smiled cockily at me. Drawing Ragnell with the glorious sound of sword on scabbard, I returned the smile; watching as her hair flowed dramatically in the wind. We both charged at the same time, yelling out as the Mage stood dumbfounded. The Shepherds needed a plan of attack, and without me being with them, Emmeryn would die. Ylisse would die. I had to get to them quickly; discard every impending emotion possible, but not at the expense of my companion's life.

Jumping up off of a boulder, I slammed Ragnell down into the Mage, sending him tumbling down to the ground. Looking for a way down, I saw that Cordelia was surrounded by at least six enemies. Scrambling down from the hunk of rock, I leapt to the ground, sword held high as I charged in with a loud battle cry. I slashed at one axeman, cleaving him in two with one swift stroke. More Plegians poured down from the cliffs, Wyverns and Pegasi flooding the sky. Turning to look over my shoulder, I saw Cordelia give me a small wink, her hair tossing gently in the warm desert wind. Two myrmidons ran at me, coattails waving behind them like split capes. I looked around to make sure we weren't about to die, and glanced at a trio of mercenaries dashing up to Cordelia, swords swinging violently.

Turning quickly back to face my own foes, I thrust Ragnell in front of me. Slicing in a wide arc, I cut through the swordsman's shoulder. Swiftly pulling back the blade, I turned and stabbed the other one with no hesitation. I now found myself back-to-back with Cordelia, enemies circling around us like a perpetual bloodbath. Then four Wyvern riders flew over to me, axes swinging wildly. A slash across the front, and the nearest Wyvern was fallen, leaving three to go. I jumped up and cut another rider off of his mount, cutting another in the stomach on my backhand. Then turning to the last one, I parried his thrust, bumping my ally on accident. Thrusting forward, I slashed Ragnell at the unsuspecting Plegian, cleaving him in two. I turned to look at Cordelia momentarily, who was concentrating on a particularly bulky warrior, speedily countering his attacks.

"Will this... Ever end?!" I yelled, stabbing another mercenary as he tried to slash Cordelia. She groaned as she turned to her next opponent. Lance struck blindingly fast, piercing the Myrmidon through as he tried to dodge. A pile of bodies began forming from all around us. I began to feel nauseous at the smell of the corpses, but tried to desperately avoid succumbing to the aching sensation.

"No, no! This is fun!" Cordelia grunted sarcastically as she thrust aside an attacking myrmidon's sword.

Hours passed, and still the army of Plegians poured out of thin air. I had a deep cut in my right arm, a severe burn on my right side from a Mage's fireball, and a broken rib or two. My arms ached from flailing Ragnell around aimlessly for so long, and sweat constantly poured down my entire body from both the heat and the workout. Cordelia panted behind me; she had a deep slice in her inner thigh, a shoulder that had been broken by a sword, and she had a black eye from a slap of a Wyvern's tail. More enemies kept endlessly attacking, and with each attempted assault, the piles of corpses grew.

"Rrrrrrgh..." I groaned, rolling my shoulders as sweat ran down my forehead. Turning to engage a Pegasus knight, I had a thought. I hurled Ragnell like a spear at the rider's chest. It struck with a sharp crash, followed by a blood-curdling scream as the knight flew dead from her mount. I grabbed Cordelia's arm, pulling her away as I tried to hop onto the Pegasus. The winged horse flew away in fright, and I heard a scream and a loud crunch. I turned to quickly look at Cordelia before grabbing Ragnell from the corpse on the sand. She had been impaled by a spearman's lance and was lying in a growing pool of blood. I grabbed her off the ground as Plegians charged at me from all sides. I leapt over a closing mercenary, and jumped high into the air. Pouncing on the nearest flier, I slashed him in two and kicked him off of the black dragon. Grabbing Cordelia, I hugged her close and flung myself into the saddle. Enemies piled up around me, swords, hands and axes swinging violently in an attempt to land one final blow. Tugging on the reigns, I lifted the Wyvern off the ground as myrmidons and mercenaries jumped onto my new mount. We rose from the blood-stained battlefield, wings flapping loudly in the wind. Two Plegians had still managed to hold on...

I sliced backwards with my blade, catching both final attackers in the chests, sending them flying off the back of the dragon. I tried to hurriedly think, as I had never been on a Wyvern before. Heck, I had especially never attempted to ride anything flying! I'm sure the Wyvern resembled a drunken duck, with me still trying to tug on the reigns to figure out what direction to go in. Cordelia sat in front of me as well, and I had to look over her limp body to see where I was headed.

Most of the flying was done by the Wyvern itself, and I eagerly tried to awake the deathly unconscious knight in front of me. Dear God, I hope she was just unconscious! I then realized that she had been stabbed in the stomach by the spearman. Looking down horrified, I searched her body for the wound. Her armor had a hole in it, but I couldn't see beyond that. I tore through her shirt, revealing a bare, blood stained abdomen. Blood wept from the hole like a river, and she was beginning to feel incredibly cold. Blood flowed just as easily from her mouth and nose, and spilled down her neck. I began to cry as I tried to feel her pulse.

"This can't happen!" I yelled, looking down at her stomach again. Ripping my tunic, I wadded up the cloth and began to apply pressure to her wound. Dammit! She wasn't breathing! Her pulse was irregular, and slowed to about a beat per five seconds. Looking back up to the reigns, I saw the Shepherds in front of us. They were already fighting the Plegians, and King Gangrel stood atop a pedestal, observing the battle between his forces and Chrom's. Suddenly a harsh sound of wind on wings echoed through the air. Instantly, I was thrown off of the Wyvern, Cordelia still in my arms. The ground approached quicker than ever...

I braced for impact, knowing this was probably our last moment. I hugged her tight, cringing as the ground loomed extremely close. With a hard thud, I hit the sand on my back. The breath was thrown from me like debris from an explosion. I rolled in agony, sure I was going to die if I hadn't already. I rolled Cordelia off of me, struggling to move my body.

Finally, I was able to burst out a much needed breath. The first thing I yelled was her name. Rolling over to attend to her, I realized that she was extremely pale. I felt for a pulse, hopefully... ...Nothing. Dammit! I looked at her stomach again. The bleeding had stopped. This was not good! I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do. In all my life, I never hoped I had to use this... But when duty calls...

I knelt beside her, and put my hands on her chest, pushing forcefully to try and knock the air back into her lungs. Push... Push... Check for pulse... Nothing. Dammit! Breath? ...Nothing! "NO!" I shouted, leaning forward as I hesitantly continued. My fingers pinched her nose and I took a deep breath, feeling my heart jump into my throat. Oh Naga... Chrom, don't get mad.

Closing my eyes, I opened her mouth and plugged her nose, cringing as I knew what I had to do next... I put my lips against hers, exhaling deeply as I continued the method. Pushing back on her chest a few times, I felt for a pulse. Nothing. Crap! Breath? Nothing. CRAP! Grunting in frustration, I quickly thrust my mouth down to hers forcing a breath from my lungs, holding as long as I could before continuing to pump her chest. This has GOT to work! "COME ON!" I yelled, looking into her blood-covered face, hair flowing the same color red onto the sand.

Then I heard footsteps... Not bothering to stop, I continued my procedure. The footsteps quickened to a dash, and soon the priest knelt next to me. "Dear Jesus! Not again!" Libra muttered, looking down at the ashen form of Cordelia. He began to mumble a prayer as he hovered his staff over her stomach. The wound soon disappeared, which would help her to recover once breathing again. If she ever did.

I began to cry, tears streaming down my face. God... Don't let this happen again! I exhaled into her mouth once more, pounding her chest with crossed hands. She wasn't stirring. "...COME ON! COME ON, CORDELIA! DON'T DIE ON ME!" I screamed, my jaw trembling as I tried to keep going. I pushed on her chest again, and I could tell from the corner of my eye that Libra wasn't hopeful.

"Get back. I'll take it from here!" He scuffled over to me and began to push repeatedly on her breastplate. Then he stopped. "The armor is in the way! Fool, why didn't you take if off sooner?!" Her asked incredulously, rolling her over to unstrap her armor. He turned her around and continued pumping, the frown in his face evident that he still wasn't hopeful.

I leaned forward and continued to exhale into her mouth, stopping only occasionally to get back in time with Libra. Cold tears clouded my vision as I tried to stay focused. My mouth was now sticky and red with her blood, and I was still sweating from the heat. Another few minutes later, Libra tried one last time. Pounding her chest, he gave one final push and then stopped, exhaustedly collapsing on the sand. I bent over once more... Exhaling sharply into her mouth.

All of a sudden, I felt her face heat up. Strange... I thought, but continued to exhale. I then opened my eyes to see her staring straight into mine. It was then that I realized that she had woken up and was subconsciously returning a kiss. I cried in shock, wiping my mouth as she blushed in embarrassment. Then I realized she was alive, and the tears rushed back to my eyes. Tears of joy. "Y-You're alive? ... Cordelia!" I grinned tackling her back to the ground in a hug. "I-I thought I'd lost you!" I cried in disbelief, and watched the red sand beneath us sparkle in the full sunlight.

She groaned and clutched at her chest, desperately breathing for air. She forced a smile back, then began to pant, sweat beading up her forehead. "L-Lost me? W-What happened?" She asked, feeling her stomach in shock.

"You almost died... You were stabbed by a lance... Straight through your stomach... A-And you... Didn't have a pulse, breath... Nothing. I was so scared, Cordelia... S-Scared..." I cried, hugging her again.

She smiled as she pulled me away, the color slowly returning to her face. She limply fell back to the sand, struggling to regain consciousness. I turned to Libra, who gave an exasperated sigh of relief. He smiled at me, patting me on the shoulder. "Chrom needs us! Did you come up with a strategy?" His expression turned more serious as he asked about the battle as if it were a war. And it wasn't just a war. It was a war for Ylisse.

"Yes." I replied, standing wearily to my feet. He followed and we looked to the battlefield. I nodded to Libra, who turned and ran towards Chrom, leaving Cordelia and I in the sand. "Come on... If you can..." I held out my hand to her, and she lightly took it. I gently pulled her up, helping her walk slowly as we stumbled over to the Plegian courtyard. Walking up to Frederick, who had just finished stabbing a stray archer, I began to speak lightly. "Frederick! Cordelia's partly dead! Where's Lissa?!" I yelled over battle cries and clanging of metal. He turned to meet me, his eyebrow raised in question.

"She's over there tending to more... But is she hurt or just depleted?" He asked, his face resuming its normal stoic expression.

"Both. Now I need to see her tended to." I walked away, still helping her limp. Suddenly she gave way, almost collapsing to the ground. She shivered and began to look deathly sick. "What's wrong!?" I asked in shock, crouching down to scoop her up in my arms. She didn't move, nor talk, but just lay there looking weirdly at me.

"I-I'm fine... Thank you, A-Ae'dyn..." She muttered, closing her eyes. "I'm s-so... C-Cold." She added, shivering again. I felt her forehead to check... Yep. Fever. Darn it. I began to run, dashing towards Lissa. Cordelia had stopped breathing again, and I began to feel the tears rising again.

"Wake up, Cordelia! Wake up! Come on!" I yelled, looking down intensely at her face. No reply. Dammit...

"Oh my! Is she okay?!" Lissa asked suddenly, helping me set her down on the ground. She waved her staff over Cordelia's body, muttering a few prayers to activate the healing. It didn't seem to affect her, but I figured I'd just give it time. I turned to get up, and Lissa shouted after me. "I'll take care of her! You go fight!" She shooed me off desperately, arms flailing as she continued to wave the stave over the crimson-head.

I turned back to the field to find Chrom looking straight at me. Oh, Lord, this can't be going too good... He was splattered in blood, and he had scratches and cuts all over him. His face fell when he saw my condition. "Get back there! You aren't fit to fight!" He barked, sheathing Falchion to turn me around back to Lissa.

"Chrom! I've got a strategy! Just listen!" I pleaded, turning back to stare Chrom in the eye. He sighed and rolled his eyes, shoulders dropping in the process.

"Tell me about it while Lissa heals you..." He started, but was denied by the fact that she already was busy with Cordelia. "Maribelle! Get over here!" Chrom ordered, and the blonde-haired noble ran out behind her horse to us, silver staff in hand.

"Milord?" She asked, giving a slight curtsy as she walked up to us. She gasped when she saw my condition, quickly holding up her stave. "Lie down, Ae'dyn. For your own good." She stated wryly, pointing to the ground commandingly.

I reluctantly obeyed, moaning as I slumped to the ground. Chrom sat next to me, watching the battlefield as if anxious to rejoin the fray. I could understand why... His sister was to be killed. Who wouldn't want to save her? "Let's talk strategy!" He said simply, turning back to look at me as Maribelle moved around me, staff in hand.

I began to tell him of my strategy, leaving out the whole "winning strategy; sacrifice" part. I went through the positions and plans quickly, trying to avoid wasting precious time. Then I saw Emmeryn. Eyes closed on a pedestal high up in the air. Probably a 50 foot drop. From up there, you could probably see all of Ylisstol... She hung her head low, seeming to stand there in defeat. I knew what she was thinking... Self-sacrifice. God... I had to stop that. If I could find a way to avoid that darn book's logical prowess... We would all be better off. There had to be a way. All I had to do was to find it.

* * *

Maribelle stood over me, waving her staff to different areas of my body. The healing stung as it slowly sealed up my wounds, but I gradually began to feel less pain because of the lack of cuts. Thanks to the stave, I could now see straight... Besides staring into the sun to try and see Maribelle.

"Hold on... You've a few more cuts on your leg..." Maribelle paused to inspect my calf. She winced in sympathy as she realized I had a cut that ran up to my thigh. She gently began to pull back my pant leg, removing my boot before doing so. She grimaced once she saw how far up it went. "My goodness! Ae'dyn! How bad does this hurt?" She asked, looking up at me in shock.

"I think my leg's numb... I can't really tell... But it hurt when I got it." I shrugged, groaning when she unstuck my pant leg from the oozing cut. "OW! I-It hurts now!" I forced a smile, lying my head back down from the pain.

"I'd say! That's a horrid gash. Be patient..." She waved the staff up and down my leg, and soon the warm stinging feeling shot up my spine. Then it dissipated, leaving my leg feel completely better. "There. That should do it! You may thank me later, sir." She stated as she rose to her feet and began strutting away.

"Hey thanks, Maribelle!" I called after her, unsheathing Ragnell as I too stood to my feet. She turned quite fiercely, a deep frown crossing her face.

"Hey yourself! I'm inclined to teach you how to act like a proper gentleman! And how to formally address a lady! A lady of MY position, you low-born buffoon!" She replied hotheadedly, a cold icy glare coming from deep inside her ocean-blue eyes. I tried to face her and opened my mouth to say something, but she cut me off. "No! I am going to do it anyway. Every day, 1:30 after lunch, no questions asked! That's final!" She yelled, turning to continue walking towards her horse. I tried to yell after her, but she didn't respond. Then I watched as she flung herself onto the mount and gallop away to the battlefield.

"Maribelle... EVERYDAY?! Ugh... Why me, Lord?" I grunted, now regretting even thanking her. Now I was really in for it. I turned anyway, and began to walk towards the battlefield myself. At this point, the battle was about halfway over, and had been going quite well thanks to Chrom's diligence in carrying out my plan.

I looked over to see Stahl being shot at by at least three archers, and had no way of defending himself. His armor merely reflected most of the arrows, but a few pierced a weak point and had him cringing in pain. I ran towards the archers, who thankfully didn't see me. Hiding behind a boulder, I planned my movements before they happened. Leaping out from cover, I slashed out and caught one in the shoulder. Then the other two turned and saw me. I quickly hurled Ragnell at them before they had a chance to reload. It hit one, then sent the other careening off of the cliff behind him. Darn it! There goes my weapon...

"Sword?" I looked over to see Stahl offer me one of his own extra swords. He still had Sol in his right hand, but he held out a Killing Edge in the other. I returned his kindness with a smile, and gladly grabbed the sharp curved blade by the hilt. The blade was rather hard for an opponent to defend against, and because of its sharp shape, was able to offer quick, powerful hits to an often hard to see weakness in the enemy's defense. Any hit to a critical part of the body was sure to bring about instant death. That was the advantage of this sword. Because of this: the only downside was that it was thin, and for that purpose, it broke easily, wasn't that durable, and wasn't as powerful and consistent at delivering strong hits. That's why I preferred my Ragnell any day.

Charging forward with Stahl's horse in-tow, I sliced through a Myrmidon, who didn't have time to so much as dodge. His corpse hit the ground, and I found that Stahl had taken down a mercenary from behind me. I nodded my head in thanks, and he replied with a welcome grin. This wasn't nearly as bad as the full-out Plegian assault on Cordelia and I in the mountains back north. Stahl and I plowed through the enemies, cutting down or into any Plegian that came into our kill-circle. We made quick time, and were soon up in the courtyard with Chrom, Frederick, Libra, Sumia, and Lon'qu. More sounds of clashing swords rose from the other side, and I barely glimpsed what look to be Gaius, Maribelle, Sully, Vaike and Kellam fighting back the Plegian reinforcements. I sighed and looked behind me, catching a glimpse of Lissa with a sheet-white Cordelia on the ground. She looked tired as she continuously waved her staff all over Cordelia's body. Oh Naga... Please don't let her die!

"Shall we?" Stahl asked, motioning on as we continued to march forward. Cut. Slice. Cut. Slice. Stab. Turn, slash. Adjust grip. Slice. Cut. Hack. Stab... The motions seemed to go on and on. Soon, Stahl and I had paved a path of corpses right up to Chrom's company. We stopped only momentarily as a second of silence fell over the courtyard. Stahl gasped in relief, and I panted as sweat dripped down my face.

"Chrom?" I asked, turning to meet the prince face-to-face. "Where's Sumia? She was just here..."

"There you are!" Chrom exclaimed as he turned around to face me. Then he pondered the question and began looking around for the Pegasus Knight. "Umm...? I suppose she was... She said she had something to do. But she's been acting rather strangely..." Chrom mused, wiping sweat from his forehead with his white cape.

Fredrick added on, his face in a permanent frown as he sat atop of his equally armored horse, turning to look at me. "Wait... Didn't you two have a thing–?"

"No." I interrupted, looking around to try and avoid eye contact. Chrom noticed this and sighed before trying to stop Frederick.

But before he could intervene, Frederick started again, looking down to me once more, face still deadpan. "Really, it seemed like you two were–"

"No! No. Frederick, we were not." I said sharply, glaring at him with a stone expression. I was not about to be accused about being in a relationship. With a girl who now hated me! What?! "I have no other comment." I felt my cheeks flush, and turned to face Stahl abruptly, trying to hide the embarrassment from Chrom, Frederick and the others.

"Well then, it looked like Maribelle was checking you out..." Came the deep, strong voice from behind me. Oh God, no! I thought, turning to reluctantly face him. That woman would be the death of me! Literally! I could tell that Frederick was being scolded by a stare from Chrom right now, but I responded anyway.

"What is wrong with you? Trying to figure out my love life? Is that it? I have no such dreams of being in a relationship of such caliber!" I snapped, looking him dead in the eye as he frowned in defeat.

"My sister is up there, you two! A change of mood would be nice! Do you want me to show my true feelings right now? Huh?!" Chrom exclaimed, returning an icy frown to both of us. "All I'm worried about it saving Emm! Now let's get back to battle! Now!" He added, shouting as he barked for Frederick and Libra to follow him. Lon'qu stood staring at me, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Is that... True?" He asked gruffly, turning to walk over towards Stahl and I. "Nice sword by the way." He added, pointing to my Killing Edge that was identical to his.

"I said I have no other comment." I answered cooly, dismissing his last words. Then I walked off with my two friends to the remaining Plegian warriors, following Chrom deeper into the courtyard. Slashing through a couple more that tried to attack me, I sheathed the Killing Edge, which stuck out slightly from my Rangell scabbard. The last few cries of agony echoed out through the wind, sheathing of swords followed as we all watched Chrom fly into a heavily armored General, sending him crashing to the ground in a loud "BANG!" Chrom stood, gazing angrily up at Gangrel who cackled like the mad man that he was.

"Look at you, fool of a Prince!" Gangrel teased, his face contorting into a strange manner of frowns. "Awwww... Is wittle baby bwother twying to save his big sister? Awwww, too cute!" He pouted, falsely sniffling as he taunted Chrom. "Too cute, it makes me sick!" He hissed as he stood up straight again, his pale grey skin seeming to catch none of the surrounding light.

"Gangrel, you monster! You will die today! I'll kill you with my own hand!" Chrom yelled in reply, drawing Falchion as he did so, the blade glowing with a misty blue aura. "I will not hesitate!"

"Now, now, don't get yourself killed young Prince. You've still got to watch your sister die as she hits the ground with a glorious splat! Oh, what a royal mess she'll make! KYAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed almost inhumanly, doubling over as a result. The very sight of him disgusted me. He didn't look like a king, and he didn't look like he was in the position to threaten Chrom, who was armed.

"Chrom... They're in position..." I whispered to the prince, who nodded in agreement. I shot a lightning bolt into the sky, reciting an old chant I had learned from Miriel a few months ago. Seconds later, Pegasus knights filled the air, Phila's distinguishable mount leading the way.

"Your grace!" Phila called to Emmeryn, swooping down towards her. She planned on picking the Exalt up off of her pedestal and then returning her to safety if all went well...

"Oh, now that's not fair..." Gangrel sighed, staring coldly as they approached. Suddenly a shining yellow light blitzed across the ground, and Risen archers snarled to life. "What's this? Did an army of undead warriors just appear before my eyes?! Oh, luck smiles down on me today!" He cackled again, looking much like a deranged, evil court jester.

"Dammit! Chrom, there's archers everywhere!" I exclaimed as the Risen all put arrows to their bows. Chrom frowned, not dropping Flachion from it's raised position.

"Dammit, Gangrel! I'll kill you!" He shouted again, this time more anger behind his voice.

Gangrel raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And how do you plan on doing that, young snob?" He smiled evilly, gesturing to the Risen. "I've got an army of undead ready to strike if you so much as twitch."

"I... I'll kill you..." Chrom muttered again through clenched teeth. His frustration was obvious. Looking overhead, I could tell that the Pegasus knights were almost there...

"Now! Kill them all! NOW!" Gangrel shouted sinisterly, pointing at the flying horses. All the archers raised their bows and shot up at the knights simultaneously.

"NOOOOO!" Chrom yelled angrily, as he watched a Pegasus fall from the sky like a stone in a lake. "DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" He shrieked, stomping his foot in frustration. One by one, the Pegasus knights began to fall... Every last one falling like a feather to earth.

"No... N-No..." I mumbled, watching in horror as the last few were shot down. Phila closed in on Emmeryn, reaching out in an attempt to grab her hand. "Come on... Phila..." I whispered, hoping for her to be able to get her out of here.

"Your grace!" Phila exclaimed, flying up to her as Pegasi continued to drop from the sky. Emmeryn turned and reached out to her, but an arrow ripped through her Pegasus' wing and it neighed in pain. Phila fell screaming, her shout echoing through the canyon. She shrieked as her hand still extended out towards Emmeryn, who gazed heartbroken off the edge of the pedestal.

"PHILA!" Emmeryn cried, dropping to her knees in sorrow. A loud crunch followed as Phila hit the ground hard... And ceased to move.

"Now, young prince..." Gangrel laughed, turning back from the spectacle to Chrom. He obviously had enjoyed the mass murder like it was a theater show. "Lay down your weapons and give me the Fire Emblem, or your sister becomes the world's largest quiver!"

"Dammit... What do I do, Ae'dyn?" Chrom muttered, looking down at the ground in both shock and utter disbelief. "Life is cruel! Dammit!" He added, clearly disturbed by what he had just seen.

The Fire Emblem was a legendary amulet used to awaken a sleeping guardian dragon in times of desperate need. These dragons were guardian angels of the entire planet, but which half, good or bad, was determined by who and why the awakening ritual was preformed. The divine dragon, Naga, was the keeper of mankind on this world, and the symbol of peace and justice. The fell dragon, Grima, was the symbol of death, destruction, and the dark, cruel end. Some men, like Gangrel, wanted to revive Grima to ensure a chaotic world where nothing but endless war and killing plagued the planet.

"You can't trust him, Chrom!" I replied, stating clearly the problem here.

"I KNOW THAT! I'm not an idiot! I just wish there was a way... AAAARGH!" Chrom shouted in response, clutching his head in agony.

I began slowly, trying to think as I went, relying on what Emmeryn was already doing and what the book had to say about the situation. "Well... What is one person when weighed up against–"

"DON'T SAY IT! Just.. DON'T..." Chrom yelled, holding up his hand to silence me.

I rethought my strategy, dismissing the advice that my book had out in my head. "On that note... She can't die! ... There has to be a way..." I replied, still shocked, myself, that the plan had failed. Not just failed, but had been utterly annihilated. I was still in disbelief that such a horrible end could come to the great Knight-captain... And possibly Ylisse. "Crap. What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know... Dammit..." Chrom mumbled, a tone of confusion in his voice. He looked back up to Gangrel, who stared annoyed at him.

"Ugh... I'm going to count to three." Gangrel rolled his eyes in disgust. "One... Two... Thr–"

"NO! GANGREL, HOLD! I-... I'LL GIVE YOU THE FIRE EMBLEM!" Chrom yelled frantically, dropping Falchion in the process. The legendary blade hit the ground with an echoing clatter, and the blue glow left it the moment it left Chrom's hand. He yelled as he turned to the rest of us. "EVERYONE, DROP YOUR–"

"NO! Chrom, stop!" Came a soft, yet distant voice. Everyone looked in shock as Emmeryn got back to her feet, gazing down at us, her voice echoing through the courtyard. "Gangrel, will you not listen to reason?" She inquired, staring icily at the madman.

"UGH! Look, your disgustingness, all I want to listen to is the THUNK of arrows and the SPLAT as you hit the ground!" He shouted, laughing out loud at the last few words. "That is... Unless SOMEONE was to give me the Fire Emblem... right NOW!" He stomped his foot in impatience.

"ALRIGHT!" Chrom yelled again, unstrapping the Emblem from his arm. It had acted as his shield for the most part, and was indestructible in that sense. "Emm... I know that MAYBE one day we might have faced a world-threatening situation where MAYBE it would have helped if we had the Emblem... But this is my choice. And I'm choosing to save your life."

"C-Chrom..." Emmeryn choked on tears, still audible from 100 feet away from her. It was a quiet canyon, after all. The Exalt looked up again, a new determination in her face. Oh God, no! I knew what she was thinking... "No. Chrom, listen to me. This is my choice. I will do what I must... For my people... For the better. For all of you..." She smiled warmly.

"No... Emm! What are you...?" Chrom cried through apparent tears. He brought his hands to his face in shock.

"People of Plegia!" Emmeryn shouted out to the armies below. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do..." She closed her eyes and looked down, off the edge of the rock she was on.

"EMM! NO! GODS! NOOOOO!" Chrom screamed, his eyes wild in bewilderment, like a child crying for his dead mother. Without hesitation, he began dashing forward as fast as he could. Emmeryn stood, letting the wind blow her hair around for the last time. She bowed her head, then took a step forward. One step... "NOOOOO!" Chrom shrieked, stumbling on as he tried to keep running, reaching out his hand dramatically, as if it would help to stop her.

She began to fall, slowly... Then all at once. Hours seemed to go by as I watched her fall. Piercing, agonizing hours. A gut-wrenching pain pounded through my entire body as I slumped to my knees. I looked up through tears as her body hit the ground with a loud thump... And then all was still...

Chrom stood, like a dead man, over her lifeless body. He shook his head in disbelief, then crumpled to his knees and began to sob. I rushed over to join him, halting next to him as he stared emotionally at Emmeryn's corpse concealed by her thin green robes. The Exalt was gone. Emmeryn was gone. Ylisse was gone. I cried out loud with Chrom, stopping only when Gangrel erupted in laughter.

"DAMN YOU GANGREL!" Chrom bellowed, standing to his feet in complete furiousness. His face was red with anger, and his fist clenched tight as tears streamed constantly down his face.

"HEHAHAHAHA!" Gangrel cackled, staring at Chrom with a pitiful look on his face. "Oh how disgustingly noble! And here... I thought death to be an ugly thing! I've never seen one fall so gracefully! In fact, I've never seen many fall!" He continued to laugh sinisterly.

"I'LL KILL YOU! YOU... YOU... YOU MURDERING DOG!" Chrom screamed through tears. Then a scuffle of feet tore through the moment, and a gruff voice that I recognized bellowed from behind.

"No, Boy! We have to get the heck outta here! Come on!" Khan Basilio yelled, breaking Chrom from his bloodthirsty trance. He stopped to put a dark brown hand on Chrom's shoulder, almost pulling him back.

"But her body! We have to–" Chrom cried, yanking away from Basilio's grasp.

"We don't have time! You'll get us all killed!" He bellowed, turning Chrom back again.

"Chrom! Come on!" I shouted, grabbing him as we began to run away from the death-filled scene. Thunder and rain sounded out through the barren landscape as we ran away as fast as we could. Gangrel's sinister laughter followed us like an unending echo. We dashed through the thunderstorm that had suddenly fallen upon us. Rain. Pounding rain. We were all now soaking wet. But it weighed nothing against the emotions that surged through us all.

Everything I knew... My past. My home. My friends. My family. My beginning of life after amnesia. Everything I could remember. Completely gone. ...Gone. The word stuck in my mind as I held back more tears. I had failed to save her. I had failed to save Ylisse.

* * *

**A/N: I have been dying to upload this. Honestly. **

**I want to point out that I actually wrote this chapter and the next four about nine months ago. My writing skills have significantly improved since then, I just want you to know that.**

**On the other hand, I have some huge apologies to make. First, I would like to say a huge thank you to Gokart, CrimsonHeresy and Komina for helping me think this through. All of it. But I also owe you three a big apology. Due to my lack of living on this site, the edited versions that I had you guys searching remorselessly for errors, ended up being deleted and lost in endless cyber space. I'm so sorry I didn't end up using it here, the edits made it so much better than this. And now I can't use it. *Sigh*... **

**On that note, I must ask that you leave a review, as it really helps A-FREAKING-LOT when I get feedback and criticisms that you all like to leave. The more the better. Pour it on! :)**

**I hope sincerely to be updating this again sometime this week. Be ready for some more. This time, I won't wait seven and a half months! I promise! Thank you all for reading this, it really means a lot to me!**

**Do yourself a favor and have an amazing day: one worthy of the Fire Emblem script! **

**\- Shadow**


	8. Chapter 8 - Retribution

**_Chapter 8 - Retribution_**

* * *

We blitzed through the storm, feet sloshing in ankle-deep puddles as we approached the wastelands. The air had a dull scent, and was reminiscent of what all of Ylisse was feeling right now. Hopelessness. War. Death. Failure...

Suddenly, a pair of footsteps stopped altogether. I looked over my shoulder through the pounding rain to see Chrom standing still in a puddle. He was looking at his own reflection, probably trying to realize what had just happened. He mumbled something slightly, then wiped a tear from his eye.

"Chrom..." I muttered, patting him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's keep going." I tried to urge him forward but he wouldn't move.

"You go on ahead... I'll only be a second..." He replied sulkily. He looked like he had hit rock bottom, and was now dealing with his own extremely unpleasant feelings.

"Come on! We don't have all day!" Basilio added gruffly, his bald brown head sparkling in the rain. "Chrom! We're almost there!" He continued, turning to face the path infront of us. Rain continued to fall, but the sound of footsteps was unmistakeable. "Huh?" He grunted, peering through the rain. "Ugh... Damn, we're surrounded... We've gotta fight now!" He exclaimed, raising his axe in preparation.

"Chrom, I know it's hard, but listen to me. Emmeryn died to give you a hope. She died to give us all purpose. Would you seriously let that hope and purpose die away in vain?" I asked, gripping his shoulders firmly as I spoke.

He looked up through teary eyes, and nearly collapsed onto my shoulder. "No... Y-You're right... If only I-I was... Stronger... I could have..." He muttered in response, looking up into the stormy landscape.

"Chrom. Don't do that to yourself. She did what she had to do. Now it's your turn to live up to her sacrifice." I added, trying my best to not fall apart as well. I wiped a tear from my eye, then quickly turned and piled out a strategy book. "Now come on. We need to fight." With Chron reluctantly in-tow, we trudged through the rain to where the others were congregating.

I looked through the crowd to make sure everyone was there. Then clearing my throat, I tried to yell through the rain. "Okay! Everybody! I know it's hard to focus, but I need you to listen to me right now!" I waited a few seconds to make sure everyone was listening, then continued, glancing between the book and the terrain we were on. "I need Gaius, Frederick, Sully and Vaike to head up that north path. Defend the thief, he'll need extra time to rob those Plegians for what they're worth." I waited for a nod from Gaius before continuing. "Stahl! Maribelle! Lon'qu! Ricken! Head up that column to the east. Provide the swordsmen with some anti-magic defense! ... Kellam, Miriel, Virion, Lissa, and Chrom I'll need you to take out those hills over in the northwest. Anything flying unit that tries to get past you or attack you... Kill. Am I clear?" I waited for a response from everyone before continuing. "Now, Tharja! Panne! Gregor! Nowi! Keep anything that runs contained to that last column. No one is allowed to slip by your defense! Got it?" I glanced down at the book again, and pinpointed a good phrase. Laughing to myself nervously, I pointed up again, seriously this time. "Sumia! Libra! Cordelia! I need you three to come with me. These enemies should surrender if we defeat their commander. But until then... We'll provide some scouting for the rest. If we need to, we'll be the reinforcements that they'll get help from!" I waited for everybody to murmur an agreement of some kind, then finished off. "Let's go! ... For Emmeryn! ... For Ylisse!" I yelled, making everyone raise their fists in thunderous agreement. A loud shout rang out from them, and we began to charge into enemy territory. Here goes nothing...

"Ae'dyn? You coming?" Cordelia asked, holding out her hand to help me up onto her Pegasus' back. I pondered for a moment, still standing in the pouring rain. I nodded with a smile, and hopped up on Caeda behind her. As I gripped onto her waist, I looked over at Sumia's Pegasus, which Libra and her were already sitting on. Sumia gave me a cold heartless stare, and then looked angrily ahead. I sighed and turned to look straight ahead myself, and we took off into the sky. The wind and the rain batted up against my face, and I had to close my eyelids to avoid being hit in the eye.

"They don't seem to have anti-air defense... Strange..." I muttered, looking off the edge of the Pegasus to get a better view of the battlefield. Several teams had already met the enemy forces. Lon'qu and Stahl were currently taking stabs at two berserkers, and Ricken and Maribelle hurled wind magic at approaching Wyverns. Chrom and Kellam were fending off four Wyverns from hurting the healer. Lissa was currently trying to mend Virion, who had already been hurt. Miriel was covering Chrom with occasional blasts of fire, incinerating anything that he couldn't reach. Frederick and Sully were dueling with three mercenaries, and Gaius quickly stabbed a theif before pillaging his pockets. Vaike was swinging wildly at a Myrmidon, who was casually evading the strikes. Gregor was battling with another mercenary, and Tharja was trying to cover him with dark magic. Nowi and Panne were in the throws of shape shifting into what their special stones allowed them to. Nowi burst out of her transformation bud, breath flaming as she spread her wings as a new dragon. Panne then finished too, and launched forward, kicking an axeman in the stomach with her large rabbit feet. Yes, she was a truly HUGE rabbit.

Of course, I took all this in with just a few glances around the battlefield, and within a few seconds turned back to look further down the terrain. "See anything?" Cordelia asked, turning to look back at me. I nodded my head in a slow response, and gazed back down at my book. Quickly closing it and setting it in my bag, I looked back up to Cordelia.

"They're all engaging with them. It looks like Sumia and Libra went to help aid Frederick's group. I think Gaius is injured..." I explained, looking down as the redhead rolled on the wet ground in pain. Libra dashed up and immediately began waving his staff over his wound. I looked back up to Cordelia, who smiled mischievously. I returned the smile, a bit sheepishly. "W-What?"

"I'm just amused, is all. It's inspiring to know how that tactical mind of yours works." She said with a small laugh, turning back to the reigns. Then I heard a snarl as a Wyvern suddenly sped up towards us.

"Crap! Look out!" I yelled, turning with the sharp turn Cordelia threw Caeda into. The Pegasus did a full turn-around, and we now faced the Wyvern dead-on. Another roar from the dragon, and the rider's axe flew up in the air, ready to strike. Cordelia yanked on the reigns, and Caeda reared backwards, barely evading a strike to the Pegasus' neck. Then positioning herself, Cordelia gripped her lance with her right hand. She let out a cry as she threw the Pegasus into a dive. Striking forward, she caught the rider on the shoulder, sending him flying off his mount. A loud yell followed and the attacker fell a hundred feet to his death. That was intense. And close. But mostly intense.

"Over already?" Cordelia smirked as the rider-less Wyvern took off into the clouds. Just as we turned to look back down, another Wyvern charged at us, wings flapping manically. "Oh sh–!" Cordelia shouted as her lance got stuck in her Pegasus' bridle. She couldn't get it out. The Wyvern still approached at blinding speed, rider raising his axe much like the past one. "I can't get it loose!" Cordelia cried, desperately tugging on her steel weapon. The Wyvern was flying viciously and was almost within arm-reach of the Pegasus. There was only one thing to do. I leaped off Caeda's back, unsheathing Ragnell mid-jump. Time seemed to stop as I raised the blade to strike. Slashing forward, I stabbed the rider in the throat, showering myself in blood. I landed precariously on the back of the Wyvern's saddle; sliding backwards, off the edge of the dragon. I reached out desperately, grabbing tightly onto a belt hanging off of the saddle. The beast was freaked out and instantly started to fly away into the sky. Crap! I held on for dear life as we rose up into the clouds.

"CORDELIA!" I shouted, looking around for my comrade. When no other flap of wings appeared, I swung myself onto the Wyvern and shoved the bleeding body off of the dragon's back. Hopping into the saddle, I threw the Wyvern into a dive, making it shriek in disapproval. Then suddenly I could see the ground. It came all to quickly, and I could see the rocks begin to gain more definition. I yanked up on the reigns, the dragon barely agreeing. Almost touching the ground, I began to fly back upwards. Suddenly, a blast of wind magic shot barely over my head. Crap! They think I'm an enemy! My thoughts were confirmed as I saw Ricken stomp his foot in frustration. I almost was out of range, when another blast connected with the Wyvern's wing. I was flung from the saddle by the gust summoned by Maribelle. At least I knew my own soldiers were good shots. On the other hand, I now was falling down to earth again. Once more, the ground approached quicker than ever. I was going to die here. This is the end...

SLAM! My chest crashed onto something painfully hard, knocking the wind out of my lungs. I struggled to see, breathe, and hear as my vision blurred up. I moaned in pain, every sound echoing through my mind. It hurt to try and focus, but I could see a red blanket swoop over me as my head rang with such intensity that I couldn't keep my eyes honed any longer. I cried out in agony (or so it seemed I did), struggling to make myself heard. Pain shot through my entire body... aching furiously... big white lights... ears ringing... everything went black...

* * *

A field of flowers. The sweet scent lingered in the crisp morning air. Running softly through fields of light pink tulips... The sky so pristinely blue... A calming addition to the serene field of decadent flowers. I lay sprawled on the bed of tulips and took in the scent. Soft. Then I realized that someone was with me. Someone to share this perfect moment with. I heard a gentle whoosh of air as they sat down. Turning my head dreamily, I saw... Libra? ...Y-Yes... Libra's hair flowed softly in the breeze, as he stared at me with a warm smile... It smelled... Foul? Wet? Wait a second...

I opened my eyes gradually, feeling a patter of... Liquid... on my cheek. A cold, grimy substance coated my other cheek... Grey blob of nothingness... Brown blob of nothingness. They fit... Perfectly together. Just like... The sky and the ground... Too perfect. Sweet tulips... But... I wasn't there anymore? Oh. Just a dream? No... It couldn't have been. It felt so... Real? ...Oh look. There's a familiar face... W-What's his name...? Oh I forgot. I really ought to learn about reindeer more. Perhaps they could prove to be a great tactical use? ... What am I thinking? Was that a reindeer? Is that? ... Wait, what IS a reindeer...? ...I'm lost. Confused. But mostly lost... And... Confused as well...

... And there's a bird. Look... Hello, little finch. Sparrow? Seagull? Cardinal? I forgot the name. Small bird... Brown...? No. No. Big. White... Yes... That's right. White. ...That's not a... Bird. That's... That's a... Flying horse? Oh please. What's next? ... A flying pig? Or maybe a reindeer. That'd be cool... Reindeer flying... Wait... Why did that sound familiar? Oh well... I'm wet. Yeah. That's the word. Wet. Soaking wet. And I'm talking to myself. This is cool. No... It's odd. Very odd. But mostly confusing. Why am I here? ... Oh. The reindeer did this to me. That I know for certain. ... ... Hey. Those... Those aren't reindeer... Those are... Blobs of... Grey? A different grey. Quick! Blink. Okay, good. Blink again... Well I think I'm alive... That's good... Or am I? Is this what heaven looks like? Man... This is boring. No no... Wait... There's red. Streaks of red on that blob. Yep... And there's streaks of yellow on that one... That's rather odd... There's only two... Unless I'm a blob... Hey! Maybe I am... The other blobs are coming to join me! ... Yay! It's a blob party... I'm so excited... Maybe I–! Wait... They're speaking. QUIET! What are they saying...? Are they speaking to me? ...Blobs can TALK? This... This is incredible! That means I truly am a blob! Hooray! Yippee! ...No... Wait. I'm a human... Are they? I still can't hear them very well... Maybe these blobs have some sort of tactical use...? I'll have to research that later... Maybe when I... Wait a minute! Those are people! I'm a person! I can see! I'm! I'm! ... Alive...? Yes. Yes, I'm alive! Huzzah! I'm so happy! I'm going to stand and–! No wait. Bad idea. ...My head HURTS! ... Woah... Hey look... There's the ground. That's strange it's... It's getting closer... How odd. Oh look. I'm on the ground. That kinda hurt... Ow... Maybe I shouldn't fall like that again. Why am I thinking like this? Am I okay? Am I really... Alive? Hmm... Maybe those blo–PEOPLE know the answer... I'll ask... Hey blo–PEOPLE buddies... You know where I am? Am I... Alive? ...No? Why can't they hear me...? Oh. Maybe it would help if I spoke. Yeah... Yeah that might help. Try opening your mouth... OW! ...Okay... Slowly open your mouth... Alright vocal test... Check one... Two... Three... Check... Check one, two, three... "Ngh..." Yay! Houston, we have liftoff! I can moan! Okay... Let's take this easy and... aaaaaaand... Hey... Those blo–people are helping me... I'm standing... Woah... The red one's pretty. Oddly pretty. A very pretty blob. Yes. ... I have no idea why. It's just a blob... Right? Anyway... I love these guys... They're my homies... Yeah... Just chillin'... You know... Wait... Yawn...? *POP* Oh wow! I can hear! They're talking! Rain! I can hear it! Wait... Maybe I should wake up. Alright... Blink! Blink! Yawn! Nod! Rooooooooll shoooooouuuulders... Good. I'm... Awake. I think...

"...so we need to get there as soon as we can..." A girl with blonde hair was saying. She wore a dress... And she... Oh! That's Lissa! I smiled in delight, but was rewarded with an awkward stare from her.

"Hello Lissa!" I finally spoke. My mouth felt dry and I could barely piece together those two words. Reluctantly, Lissa smiled back, then turned to talk to... Libra. Right. Who stood like he'd been here for a while. Sumia's gotta be here too... But she might be staring at me coldly from... B-Behind? Don't wanna look there...

"...see that makes sense. You know?" The red haired girl with a feather sticking out continued. Cordelia? Wow... I'm... Being carried by Cordelia. This. Is. Awkward. Okay then...

"Hey Cordelia!" I piped up, a subsequent grin crossing my face. She smiled sheepishly back, and flicked her hair out of her eyes as she continued to help me hobble. ...But... We're still in the battlefield... Did we win? Did we all die...? What happened? What did I miss...?

...

...

I sat down on a make-shift bench... Yeah... My head still hurts. I can see straight which is a relief. I can also talk, think and feel right as well. Now I'm sitting here... An ice pack on my head, and a blue liquid in my right hand. Lissa told me to drink that. It was an elixir, and was supposed to gradually heal me once I drank it. I popped off the cork with my thumb, then brought the bottle to my mouth. The cool, blue liquid ran down my throat, an odd icy tingle blitzing through my mouth. I shivered in distaste. The stuff tasted almost like eucalyptus mixed with lime-juice. Then my entire body began to burn as the healing began to take place. "Rrrrrrgh..." I moaned as the pain surged through my chest and into my stomach. It coursed through my legs and arms, reaching my head shortly after. Then I broke into a sweat, and began to feel a splitting headache. The burn increased, seeming to incinerate the source of pain. Then the fiery feeling cooled down, and I felt... Normal. Wow. Hey, this stuff actually does work! Cool...

"Ugh... That was s-strange..." I winced, forcing a smile as Lissa looked sidelong at me, smiling in reply. "I don't think I enjoyed it that much..."

"Well of course, silly. It heals you, it doesn't satisfy your taste buds!" Lissa threw her arms up in exasperation. She snagged the empty bottle from my hand and turned around to put it back in her bag. "I know it's strange... But you hit hard... I was scared you died... But Cordelia was worried that we'd roll you over to see guts hanging out everywhere..."

"Uh..." Cordelia hesitated, doubting Lissa's wording.

"Oh? Oh. Okay then." I raised an eyebrow, not comfortable with the fact that it could have actually happened. Healing staves can do pretty amazing stuff. "What did I hit after I fell?" I asked as the thought came to my mind. I had woken up on the ground, but were in the middle of a battle. There wasn't anywhere else for me to lie down unconscious.

Lissa was about to answer, but was interrupted by a loud flap of wings. Air whipped up my hair from my forehead, and I looked up to see Sumia through the rain. Lissa looked up as well, and stepped up to talk to the Pegasus Knight.

"Lissa! We're under attack in the third column! Stahl's hurt. ...Like, bad. You'd better hurry!" Sumia announced, her voice shaking almost as if she was afraid or even... traumatized. She looked worriedly around at the rainy landscape, then saw me. With a short glare, she ascended back into the grey sky.

Lissa cried in shock, grabbing her staff and her bag. "Come on! Let's go!" She yelled over her shoulder. Libra and Cordelia ran instantly to her side, and I stumbled up to them quite reluctantly. "Cordelia, take Ae'dyn up. I'll need a scout to make sure the path's clear..." She added as we began to walk forward.

"Yes, ma'am." Cordelia answered shortly, saluting in the process. She flung her right leg over the saddle of the Pegasus, sitting collectively on the horse's back. She held her hand out and I grasped it gingerly, hopping up behind her on the winged mount. "Hold on tight..." She muttered.

"I'll try..." I answered wryly. I gripped on tightly as the Pegasus launched into the sky yet again. Cold air and misty raindrops batted against my face as we ascended into the sky. Finally leveling out, Cordelia guided the Pegasus into a wide bank right, and began to circle over the battlefield. If what Sumia reported was true, there should be some action going on in the third column from the west...

"Oh gods!" Cordelia gasped in shock, raising a hand to her mouth in disbelief. "Naga!" She continued, pulling the Pegasus into a faster dive.

"What? What is it?" I asked loudly over the noise. Then I looked over her shoulder and saw what she had. I stared too, mouth unconsciously dropping open in shock. I struggled for words, but none came whatsoever.

The ground was covered in red. Corpses littered the trench, and more Plegians piled into the bloodbath. Everyone was injured or dead. From up above, I could make out the figure of Stahl, who lay sprawled on the ground, bleeding profusely from an injury in his abdomen. Lon'qu slashed wildly at the oncoming horde of warriors trying to break past his one-man line. Maribelle lay deathly still next to Ricken, who was crumpled up on the ground, clutching at a wound of his own. They were all stained in red, and the damage was visible even from here.

Cordelia yanked on the reigns, and I was snapped from my trance. Then I saw the others. Chrom lay on the ground, limp from many wounds. Kellam was the only one standing, and he continuously stabbed at oncoming Wyvern riders as they poured down the hill. Miriel sat with severe wounds, trying to tend to an unconscious Virion, who was collapsed in a bloodied heap. Group One had also been helping out. But their luck didn't work to their advantage...

Nowi was lying in a pool of blood, accompanied by a seriously beaten Gaius, who lay parallel to her just a few feet away. Gregor had taken a few hits, but was still stumbling around in an unruly manner, while Frederick constantly hurried in aiding Chrom. Panne also was lying limp in the same puddle that Tharja was lying unconscious in. Vaike and Sully had been bruised and cut, and were now crumpled at the foot of the cliffs. They were in deep trouble if we didn't get there fast. Sumia, Libra, Lissa, Lon'qu, Kellam, Cordelia, and I were the only able fighters at the moment.

The Pegasus turned again as I watched the other team. Crap. Gregor just got hit with a throwing axe. What are we supposed to do here?! My mind went into a panic as two axemen ran up to Kellam with hammers in hand. This was NOT going to end well...

"We need to hurry!" I called out to Cordelia who nodded frantically back at me. We pulled into a steep dive, and soon were on the ground beside Lissa and Libra.

"What's it look like?" Lissa frowned seriously, gazing up at me from the ground.

"Not good. At all." I shook my head in dismay, sighing before continuing. "It's a bloodbath from the first column down to the fifth. Our best bet is to aid our closest comrades. That'd be the group in column three." I sighed again, hopping off of the Pegasus to join the two blonde healers.

"Naga... Let's... Let's Go then!" Lissa stammered, grabbing her staff in a determined fashion. Boots sloshed in puddles as we marched to the aid of our fellow soldiers. The rain continued to pour, but the tinge of red in the water was undeniable. It began to smell rancid, and the cries and loud brandishing of steel started to fill the air. I unsheathed Ragnell as we turned around a cliff, only to see what I had only dreamt in my darkest of nightmares.

"Oh gods... Naga..." Libra muttered, bowing his head in sorrow before pulling out his axe. He heaved it over his shoulder, preparing to charge on my mark. Lissa flipped open the pages of her tome, turning to nod to me in confirmation. Cordelia gripped her lance and adjusted it in her right hand, steeling herself for the imminent battle.

"Alright, people... Let's help our friends out! Come on!" I yelled as I charged forward, sword held high in front of me. Plegians from all directions turned upon hearing our battle cry, and began closing in on us as we surged forward. Soon we were surrounded. Not the ideal strategic placement, but at least there was four of us this time. "Come on!" I seethed, gritting my teeth as more soldiers ran at us.

I slashed out and cut through a myrmidon's chest, letting him fall lifeless onto the cold wet ground. I turned to face more attackers as they slashed out at me with their weapons. Flashes of lightning broke out into the horde as Lissa began to engage. A loud crash signified Libra smashing into a man's body with his axe. A yell and a quick streak of crimson hair told me that Cordelia was now fighting as well. I turned to block a horizontal swipe from a mercenary, then thrust forward to impale him.

Cries rang out as more came upon us. Slash. Cut. Stab. Block. Thrust. Swipe. Block. Stab. Parry. Slash. Stab. Slash. Cut... Sweat began to mix with rain as I fought off more and more Plegians. Swords, axes, and lances swung out at us from all directions. Cries of agony pierced the already noise-filled air as flashes of lightning tore through the assailants bodies. Lissa kept hurling the bolts at whoever came within range, muttering chants as she did so. Libra was blocking attacks using his axe as a shield, and occasionally struck out at an unsuspecting foe. Cordelia had a pile of corpses in front of her, and she repeatedly stabbed forward into more attackers. Blood. Blood from our victims covered us. The rain tried to drown it out, but it nonetheless stained our clothes and faces. Horrible. There was only one word for it.

The battle raged on for what seemed to be hours. Contestant crashes of metal on bone rang out through the wasteland. When at last the attackers began to lessen, I called for a feint. Slowly, we began to fight our way backwards, the enemy constantly pressing in on us from in front. Then I caught a glimpse of a blue tunic. Dark brown hair...

"Nice of you to join us." Came a curt voice I knew all too well. Lon'qu breathed heavily as he unsheathed his sword, charging forward into the fray.

"I was beginning to think I'd never see any of you..." I huffed as a strong axeman bore down on my with a ginormous iron axe. I thrust away his weapon, impaling him on the stained tip of Ragnell. "...Again." I finished, turning to look at the dour swordsman through the corner of my eye.

It was then that I saw Lissa fall to the ground with a splutter of red. She cried out in pain as a lance drove clear through her thigh. Cordelia immediately jumped over and blocked another incoming attack, stabbing Lissa's attacker in the chest. More Plegians ran at us, Libra, Lon'qu and I running to block their advance. About 10 remained. Good Lord, I thought it'd never end.

Then an axe flew in from above... "Watch out!" I yelled, shoving Libra out of its path. A cry of pain pierced the air, causing a deep pang in my heart. I looked over at Libra, who stood back up in bewilderment. He turned immediately to engage a mercenary swinging at him with his sword. I looked frantically around to see Lon'qu gently pulling out a spear from his abdomen. Blood stained his tunic a dark blue, and he grimaced in agony. I gave him a final glance as I turned to slice a Myrmidon's head clean off his shoulders. A Wyvern flew towards us, rider aiming another axe at me. I dodged lightly, turning to see Libra frantically blocking his attackers' blows. I pulled myself off the ground, aiming at the flying dragon that had almost killed me. I hurled Ragnell forward, catching the rider in his side, sending him flying off his mount. I ran to retrieve my weapon, slashing out at another mercenary in the process. The blade caught his shoulder, and slid past to impale an axeman as he tried to provide reinforcement.

Two more... Libra leapt into the air, sending his axe crashing into his unsuspecting foe. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he dropped his axe in relief. I turned to block a thrust from another Plegian... Only to realize that it was their Commander. He had a clear emblem on his left chest, and wore the armor to boot. He gazed at me with sadness in his eyes. He looked as if he didn't want to fight me. It was then that he spoke up.

"I am General Mustafa of Plegia. If you wish to keep your life... You must win it!" He spoke slightly shakily. He pointed his axe at me in a strong gesture, daring me to come at him. I thrust forward, blocking his attack. Turning to slice through his armor, I tossed away his axe with one swift stroke. I pointed Ragnell at his throat, glaring at him in anger.

"I'll keep my life. The Exalt would have wanted us all to..." I seethed through clenched teeth. I held my sword at his collarbone with finality. I then frowned at him and raised my shoulders in preparation. "For Emmeryn!" I pulled back the blade and drove it through his stomach.

He gasped in pain, struggling for air as blood streamed down his bearded chin. He fell to his knees in defeat, speaking lightly as if not to be heard elsewhere. "Well... Done... Ylissean..." He grunted as he clutched at his belly in agony. He breathed a struggled breath, then a single tear ran down his rough cheek. He shivered as he blinked back more cold tears. "...Please... Spare... My men..." He muttered before collapsing lifelessly at my feet. That was it. The battle was over. We had found a way home.

I turned to look at the others. Libra smiled warmly at me from tending to Lon'qu, who still lay agonized on the ground. Lon'qu managed a strained smirk, but soon rested his head back down on the wet ground. Cordelia was pouring an Elixir down Lissa's throat, but grimaced up at me when she saw the destruction. It definitely was not a pretty scene. Corpses, blood, weapons... It all littered the ground around us.

Just then I heard heavy footsteps behind me. I looked up to see Basilio running in his usual gruff manner. He panted as he slowed to a stop, barking a greeting as he straightened his back. "Good afternoon, ladies..." He smiled cockily, seemingly unaware of the death-laden landscape. Then another set of light footsteps sounded off from behind him.

"Khan Basilio!" A pink-haired girl called out lightly. She wore... What looked to be a loose sash... Save for a fabric extension from her top that covered the sides of her torso, wrapping around the back and on down her legs. Light pink banners of fabric looped around her arms, flowing in the wind like wings of a bird. She also wore dark grey sleeves and pant-legs, detached from the rest of her garments. Basilio looked up at her as well, a hint of expectancy on his face.

"Ah! There you are!" He called in reply, turning to wave me on. "Ae'dyn, this is Olivia. She'll be smuggling us outta here. She's got the rest of you in the caravan already..." He added wryly. Olivia started to open her mouth but restrained, instead looking out to the rain. She began to shiver, and I could certainly understand why. Basilio continued, coughing as he noticed me staring... "Entertained, are we?" He bellowed in laughter, slapping his thigh in amusement.

Olivia blushed a deep red, a hue I had never seen in such extremity on a face before, then turned to look back at us. She looked quite flustered, if not almost hurt by the comment. I felt the flush in my cheeks as well, and realized that I had indeed been staring unintentionally. Basilio laughed for a few more minutes, then sighed in conclusion.

"Well now... We'll be safe from here on out." He bellowed as he slapped a hand on my shoulder.

Olivia interrupted with a sudden exclamation. "Only if we get moving! We haven't much time before more Plegians arrive!" She stared intently at Basilio's rough appearance. He shrugged in agreement, motioning for the others to follow.

We rounded a corner, and there was a caravan of stagecoaches parked under a rock alcove. There was one with available seating for the rest of us, besides Basilio, who blundered over to another cab with Flavia, the other Khan from Ferox. Libra eased Lon'qu into the seat of our coach, lying him down on the far bench. Cordelia took a seat opposite from the two men, sitting Lissa down beside her. I took a seat beside Cordelia, across from Lon'qu. Olivia climbed in after me, and sat in the drivers seat up front. She took a hold of the reigns from inside, turning to me with a nod. "You ready? Hold on tight..." She said softly, gazing up from the chair. The coach began to move, and so did the others around us. It was quite bumpy, due to the rocks and the rain.

My head felt heavy as the adrenaline left my body. I began to feel tired, pained, and oddly depressed. Then a pang shot up my spine. It was then that I realized that I had a gash in my side. It ran deep, up from my waist to my upper rib cage. The pain began to take effect, and I began to feel light headed. Black orbs swirled through my vision as I struggled to keep control of my senses. Crap. Not again. I found myself with my head on Cordelia's shoulder once again as everything went black...

* * *

**A/N: This chapter actually took a bit to write, because, believe it or not, it was actually too gory at first. This is the toned down version, which also means that it's not written as well as it originally was. The next chapter, things start to calm down a slight bit, but this means there will be more emotion than drama and action.**

**So... Apparently I was obsessed with ellipses about seven months ago. I'm sorry for over-using them. It annoys me even now. I also do apologize for the hyper-long paragraphs and strange sentence structure in this chapter. I thought about revising the grammar from my past brain's drabbles, but I decided that it wasn't completely worth it. Future chapters will be a bit more completed and/or corrected. Thank you for your understanding.**

**I'm planning on updating again in the next day or so, so keep checking back. Once again, thank you all for reading this! It means a lot that you take time out of your day to read something that I randomly wrote.**

**Please have an amazing day, friends!**

**\- Shadow**


	9. Chapter 9 - Playing with Fire

\- Chapter Nine -

Playing with Fire

I awoke in a dark room. Cold. Dark cold surrounded me... Even the thick, fluffy covers couldn't protect me from the chill of the night. Oddly, I felt awake. Fully awake. I pushed aside the sheets, realizing that the pain in my side was gone. The bandages were still on, though. Maybe Lissa applied some numbing salve or something. I'd best not overdo it, just to be safe. I fumbled around in the dark room, searching for a mobile form of warmth. My hand smacked against the door, and I felt a fluffy coat hanging from a peg. I grabbed the cloak hastily off of its hanger, wrapping my torso in its furry warmth. With a struggled tug, I yanked on the thick wooden door, making it creak under the strain.

I took a step out into the hallway. No one seemed to be there. Faint torch light glowed from the other end of the hall, and I found myself slowly walking towards it. I looked around the corner. No one there either... But what's over there? I walked towards a more subtle light. A cold waft of air hit me in the face like a wall of ice. I shivered as my chin buried itself into the warm hood of my coat. I took another step forward and realized that it was moonlight. I found myself looking down over the courtyard, where several knights patrolled the grounds. Quiet crackles of flame accompanied the gentle howls of wind as I looked for someone. Anyone, really.

... Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... That's odd. It sounds like footsteps. Maybe it's one of the guards... Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... They're getting closer... Maybe it's not? It sounds like they're behind me... Odd. I turned to look behind me. Nobody was there. Strange... I looked down the hall to my right. No one there... A shadow fell over me as a I looked forward again. I turned my head to the left...

"Hey." The gruff voice called. "Trouble sleeping?" I looked up into the silhouette of a man, it looked like. But the voice was a dead giveaway.

"H-Hello, L-Lon'qu." I muttered through chattering teeth. The swordsman stepped forward, out of the shadows, allowing the torch light to illuminate his face. He rested his elbows on the balcony next to me, sighing as he too looked out over the courtyard.

"If you're cold, you should go to the barracks downstairs. Frederick started a fire down there." Lon'qu said, still staring straight ahead. Suddenly he stiffened, eyes widening like a cat before chasing its prey. "Something's not right." He muttered, eyes scanning the courtyard. "Go warm up. I'll check it out." He added, pushing me to the side as he walked towards the stairs, barking at a guard who stood in his way. Without hesitation, the guard stepped to the side, and Lon'qu disappeared down the steps.

"Go warm up? How can he stand this weather? Even if he lives up here..." I mumbled to myself. I walked off towards the opposite end of the castle, catching a glimpse of a flickering light in a window downstairs. My feet scurried down the stone steps, boots clopping as I marched forward. When I reached the room, I realized that I couldn't see through the window. It was frosted up. Eh. Might as well... I breathed softly on the glass, rubbing my coat sleeve around in a circle to clear up the image. I tried to peer inside, but all I could see was a fire and a few people talking around it. One figure I recognized to have orange hair. ...Oh Lord, no. Oh well, it's worth it. I took a deep breath before tugging on the door. I pulled myself in the room, gently easing the door back into place. The warmth of the fire instantly began to thaw out my body, and I was still meters away.

"Bubbles! Just the person I wanted to see!" Gaius called, hopping up from his seat on the ground near the fire. Stahl lay curled up in a pile of blankets, eyes closed as he breathed softly. He was asleep. Cordelia sat with her hands under her legs, leaning forward from the couch towards the fireplace. Frederick squatted near the blazing fire, prodding at the ashes with a stick. Gaius threw a wad of candy wrappers into the fire, then proceeded. "I've been looking up on yo–"

"Gaius! You don't throw candy wrappers into a FIRE!" Frederick cried, frantically trying to fling the plastic trash out using his stick.

"Sorry, Sir Lancelot. I'm fine with it as is." Gaius retorted, not bothering to look back at Frederick, who stopped prodding to give the candy-loving thief a cold glare. Gaius rolled his eyes. "He's glaring at me, isn't he?" He asked, popping a mint into his mouth. "Anyway, Bubbles. I've done some spying on ol' creepy dark Mage like you suggested. I... Uh... Well, there's good and bad news..."

I shrugged as I began to walk over towards the couch. "Okay... Go on."

"The good news is... That I haven't found her spying on you at all lately!" Gaius forced a smile as he crunched down on his candy. Then his face fell. "And because of that, the bad news is... I can't find her at all."

"Oh... I see." I said, sitting down in front of the fire, watching Frederick pull the last few wrappers out of the flames. Gaius sat down beside me with a sigh, and began to unwrap another candy. "Don't you ever wonder if you'll get diabetes?" I asked, watching him as he stuck the lollipop in his mouth. He paused, then looked up in contemplation.

"Why, no. I don't. Why's 'at, Bubbles?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because at the rate you're going... Let's just say you're on the fast track there." I smirked. Gaius' face fell again, and he frowned immediately afterwards.

"Ya know what? I'm gone. Good bye!" He announced, shoving his candy into his pockets. He stood and made for the door. "I'll go and eat my sweets in peace."

"You mean into pieces, right?" I smiled. The door slammed behind him as Gaius stormed away, candies and all. "Somebody's got a temper..." I murmured, scooting forward towards the fire.

Frederick stopped prodding the ashes, then threw the stick in. "That should do it." He said, pulling himself to his feet. "You two should be off to bed. It's getting late." He reached down and slung the sleeping Stahl over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "After all, we have an early morning tomorrow. Good night." He said. Heavy feet retreated towards the door, Stahl bouncing up and down with every step he took. The door squeaked open... Then once again closed. I was alone. No wait...

"How are you recovering?" A soft voice asked from behind me. At that, I began sweating, nervousness taking control. How was I supposed to talk to her?

"Goo–Wel–Fine. Fine." I tried to grin, looking at her from the corner if my eye. That didn't come out right. Oh wait... She's coming towards me...? Crap, what am I supposed to do? And now she's sitting beside me. Cool. That's... Cool... Oh boy, my cheeks are ablaze... And no that's not from the flames. Why was I having these sudden changes in my feelings? Did I really have a crush on her–? Oh... That makes sense.

"You don't sound too confident." Cordelia stated, gazing into the fire.

I gulped silently, hugging my knees to my chest. "Well, it's all thanks to Lissa's healing. How long was I out?" I asked, burying my face into my knees.

"Just a day or two. You had major blood loss, but nothing worse." She said, scooting closer. Wait... Closer...? What is she doing? What is she doing?!

A loud clank and the door burst open. Thank God! Whew, that was close... Oh dear. There's Lon'qu. He doesn't look too happy. The swordsman grunted at the sight of us, and Cordelia immediately pulled back from almost leaning on me. "Ae'dyn, you might want to see this!" He exclaimed, hair tossing in the cold outside breeze.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing to my feet. I grabbed my coat, and Cordelia followed right on my heels. "Is there something wrong?"

Lon'qu frowned as he continued gruffly. "Plegia's here. And it looks like they're ready to fight a war."

* * *

"I don't like it. How many do you think there are?" I asked skeptically, as Chrom and I gazed out at the army in the distance. Not much could be seen under the cover of night, even from the high walls of Castle Ferox.

"Easily seven hundred. Just a small army. Seems they're here to bargain, not fight." The Prince replied with a frown, his eyes dancing in the dim torch light. "I don't like it either."

"I'd say there's about a thousand..." I answered, folding my arms as Chrom looked back at me.

"We'll see."

A loud crack of wind thudded against the wall repeatedly. Hooves hit the stone floor. "Captain!" I recognized Cordelia's voice as another set of wings landed beside her.

"They don't appear to be here for hostile intentions." Sumia stated, unfastening the harness and jumping off of her Pegasus.

The other knight nodded. "We flew directly over them. They had a few mages, but they merely eyed us instead of attacking. It's just a small group of Plegians." Cordelia sighed, looking back over her shoulder at the dark shadow of the distant army.

"At least seven hundred of them." Sumia added, nodding in agreement.

Chrom chuckled in amusement, laying a firm hand on my shoulder. "Good guess."

"Sure." I smirked in reply, gazing out past Cordelia. "What do we do now, Chrom? It's your call."

The Prince gave a heavy sigh before frowning angrily. "We offer parley."

* * *

"Chrom? Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked, close behind the prince as he strode towards the Plegian general's tent, cape flowing in the cold morning breeze. The sun had not yet risen, but there was a slightly brighter tinge that lit the sky near the horizon, signaling the upcoming dawn.

"The bastards already took my sister from me! They don't deserve to live!" Chrom seethed, eyebrows furrowing as he clenched his fists firmly at his sides.

"Chrom, you're overthinking this. Take a deep breath and–"

"I don't need your remarks at trying to ease my stubbornness. I've made up my mind, and someone's gonna pay the price!" Chrom nearly shouted, leaving me to fall behind while contemplating his words. He wasn't thinking. He was acting. And that was something that a leader shouldn't do under these circumstances.

"Chrom! Be quiet! This whole camp can hear you! If you talk bad about them here, I promise you their forces won't be so–"

"-So what? They won't be so forgiving? They've come to wage war, and Naga be praised, I'm going to kill off every single one of their sorry corpses!" Yet another nonsensical remark... This was getting out of hand.

"Shut up, Chrom!" I breathed through gritted teeth. "Every one of them can hear your ranting! Try to think! You're a leader, not some bloodthirsty, vengeful rage-king!" I paused to take a breath, and the words seemed to finally penetrate into Chrom's ears.

He turned slowly, stopping in his tracks as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're right. I'm better than this. Look, I'm sorry. Let's try to deal with this humanely... If we can. Maybe there's a way to avoid another war. God, if there was only a way to bring her back..." He looked up into the starry sky, somewhat diluted by the torchlight of the Plegian campsite that we had been walking through for the past few minutes. The Plegians had organized a small committee to discuss the terms... And it involved walking straight through their sleeping army.

Chrom and I both didn't like it one bit, so we had decided to take a few other arms to help raise the confidence. Frederick was a human wall. He could just as easily thrust a spear through a man's torso as could he block a striking halberd before it hit his impeccably spotless armor. Lon'qu had the skill and speed that legends were made of. Taking down him would take more than fifty armed soldiers. Something this camp had only in sleeping droves. I had positioned Sumia and Cordelia up in the sky, watching in case something went wrong. That way there would be witnesses. It wasn't wise for Chrom to meet with the general face-to-face, due to the likelihood of it being a trap, but the Prince had refused to stay behind, and thus had begun his now widespread ranting about how horrible the situation was. By now, half the continent knew how bitter the Prince's feelings were towards the Plegians.

"As sad as it is, there isn't a way to bring her back. But you're meant to take her place. She would've wanted you to be strong." I said, gazing at my friend as his hair draped from his head like a curtain. Finally, he looked back up, a slight glimmer of a tear in his eye. "Come on, where's the Chrom we all know and love?" I added with a grin, making him smirk slightly in response. He quickly wiped the tear from his eye with the back of his hand. He sighed forcefully, and regained his composure as we began walking once more towards the General's tent. "There's something here that is meant for much more. Something that keeps us all together. Something, that I think, even fate can't destroy. We can't let those ties end loosely."

"You're right. After all, such bonds are the true strength of our army." Chrom said, then paused and gazed forward as the tent neared into view.

"Where'd you hear that?" I asked, smiling to myself as I realized that the real Chrom was just starting to return. Why does that sound familiar...? I wondered to myself.

"I think I said something like that a while back..." Chrom muttered as he tapped his chin. "But it doesn't really matter too much. We have a deal to reach with these... Uh..." He obviously stopped in search of a better, less-insulting word. "... These clowns." He smirked lightly as we approached the large tent. This was going to be the one meeting that I dreaded to attend.

* * *

"Prince Chrom... I strongly suggest that you take heed to my king's offer." A well-tanned man with a long draping robe boomed in a gruff tone. He had a battle scar across his left jaw that ran all the way to his chin, and it was still pink, meaning that it was probably fresh to some extent. The man's bushy eyebrows and bald head would have given him the appearance of a tough guy... If it wasn't for the fear in his eyes that glistened as if trying to tell him that he should be careful about who was in front of him. Before Chrom or I had a chance to interject, he continued. "You have already slaughtered our best troops in that unfortunate encounter near the midmire. And both of our armies lie in shambles as it is. Would you be such a fool as to–"

"If anyone's being a fool here, it is you, General Byan. Your pig-faced king has taken the life of my own sister, and I intend to end his mad reign. Are we clear?!" Chrom said stiffly, a furrow in his brow telling the unfazed Plegians to back off. When Chrom had his mind made, there were few who could stop him.

The General sighed, backing up with his hands in the air. "Clear is a point of view. From your side of the window it looks clear. From my side, I see death and destruction following in your footprints." He whispered something to another officer, who turned to talk to a guard. The guard rested his hand on a concealed book beneath his robes. At this, Lon'qu flinched, tapping his sword hilt with his hand as he eyed the guard keenly. "I didn't think it would come to this." He waited for a response from Chrom, but was given only silence. He grunted and turned to look outside. "So be it, Ylisseans."

A flick of a hand. Lon'qu flashed out with a streaking sword. Screams filled the tent as the guard was cut in two by his blade. Another guard released a blast of lightning that caught Frederick in the shoulder, sending him crashing to the floor. Within a matter of seconds, the entire room was ablaze. Chrom unsheathed Falchion, impaling a counsel member who was about to cast a fire spell on us. By this time, I had drawn Ragnell, and I blindly ran towards a guard that was behind the thick cloud of smoke. A cry of pain confirmed my trajectory.

Frederick yelled through the noises, "We'd best get out of here!" But gained the attention of only two of us. Lon'qu kindly sliced through the two remaining guards that blocked the exit, and we began to leave. Then I saw Chrom. He was standing over a cowering General Byan, who was pleading for Chrom to change his mind. The Prince ignored this plea, and instead raised his blade. What happened next was only known to me by the screams and splats that rang out through the tent. The three of us ran out of the tent, and Chrom followed soon after. "Come! There's little time before they raise the alarm and the whole army attacks us!" Frederick shouted as our footsteps quickened into a run.

A few Plegians tried to stop our escape, but were either slammed into the ground by Frederick's fist, cut in two by Lon'qu's blade, mauled into pieces by Falchion, or stabbed by Ragnell. When at last the forest approached, our fears had been realized. "They raised the alarm!" Lon'qu yelled, watching as Plegians began to pour out of their tents, charging straight for us.

"Damn it! Move!" I cried, ducking as fireballs flew sizzling over out heads. We pushed past the bushes, dashing through the underbrush. As if right on cue, an opening appeared, and two Pegasi and an armored horse stood in the field. Sumia and Cordelia jumped up in surprise, gasping as hordes of Plegians tore through right after us. "Go! Go! GO!" I yelled, trying to dodge while running and not pulling a Sumia. The two girls hopped on their saddles, and quickly reached out their hands towards us. I glanced back as we ran up to the riders. Hundreds of warriors stampeded after us, hands and weapons flying. Frederick swing himself up on his horse, somehow able to both run and jump with all his armor on. Lon'qu leapt through the air and landed on the horse's rump, pulling himself onto the saddle behind Frederick. The two quickly took off riding through the frosty grass. Chrom lunged forward onto Sumia's Pegasus. I desperately grabbed Cordelia's hand, swinging myself up behind her. "GO!" I shouted, and both Pegasus left the ground not a moment too soon.

Balls of fire and lightning crackled overhead. Taking off to the clouds, we finally escaped the vicious assault. "Oh Naga, that was close!" Cordelia gasped, taking a deep breath as she gripped the reigns tightly in her hands.

"Thanks... for the lift." I panted, clutching onto her stomach as the wind pounded my face. Finally we leveled out, and rose above the low clouds, out of the range of the Mages. Through the blanketing fog, I could barely make out Frederick's horse, which rode unimpeded through the plains below. Ahead of them lay a forest, but the Plegians were too far behind to be able to catch up anytime soon. After a few minutes, Castle Ferox came into view, and Cordelia threw the Pegasus into a dive. That got me thinking. "Hey, what happened to Caeda?" I asked over the wind.

"She couldn't make it. We had to put her down after she got wounded in the midmire. A Wyvern bit her in the neck... I tried to break free, but there's not much you can do. It was a long fall, but that happened shortly after you passed out. In fact, that's why you were on the ground." Cordelia explained.

"Wait, you caught me before I hit the ground?" I asked. If so, that made sense why I saw a flash of red right before I blacked out. Cordelia nodded in reply, and a rush of air silenced my response. The Pegasus flapped her wings rapidly as we prepared to land in the Castle courtyard. Hooves clopped on stone as we landed with a forceful plop. "Thanks." I said, unwrapping my arms and hopping down. I turned to help her off, and my body froze. Why aren't I moving? I forced myself forward with a jerk of my hand, and began to feel a warmth against it. I blinked in shock as I realized that I had helped her down from the Pegasus with my hand. She... She was holding my... My hand. Okay. I felt a heat burning in my cheeks as she smiled warmly at me. It sounded like she said something, but I was too lost in thought.

"Ae'dyn?" The soft voice echoed through my head. I blinked a few times, then regained my focus, only to see that she was still right there. "Ae'dyn, are you blushing?" Cordelia giggled, brushing aside her hair as she walked past me.

I followed after her immediately. "Who, me? No, I'm not blushing." I stammered, hoping I sounded confident enough.

Cordelia looked at me through the corner of her eye. "Oh come now. You don't seriously 'like' me, do you?" She deadpanned, face blank of any sign of a laugh.

"Nope. Not me... No..." I replied as I fought back the blush. Why was I acting like this? Cordelia is my FRIEND, not my love. Did I seriously have a crush on her? Was that it? Why Cordelia? Was there something else I liked about her? What was it? No, I had a crush on Sumia. No one else. My mind raced as we approached the strategy room, where the others already stood. I couldn't begin to think about being in a relationship. Especially with anyone but Sumia. Definitely not now. Not when we're in a war. Not when I need to focus on the task at hand. Apparently my body and my mind weren't in sync. I heard a deep sigh coming from Chrom as I entered the room, and thus the planning for the upcoming battle began.

* * *

"With their commanding officer now dead, that army will be forced to flee back to Plegia." Chrom said, gesturing to the map, and drawing a path with his finger towards the west. "Gangrel will march here to take us on himself no doubt. Unless..."

"No Chrom, there isn't an 'unless'." I stated, folding my arms in front of my chest. Chrom opened his mouth again. "No, don't finish that, you'll–"

"We must attack Plegia before Gangrel–"

"Naga! Do you want to become like your father?! Is that it?" A silence followed that almost shamed me for saying such a cruel thing. "Slaughtering Plegia will not help ease the pain of Emmeryn's death! If you want retribution, then take it out on the man, not the country!"

"My father was unjust. He cared not for life, nor did he have the brain to think about what he was doing–"

"You speak of him as if he was a mindless monster–"

"And you know what? He just might have been." Chrom continued. "If Plegia is in disarray, then now is our chance to strike. If we catch them off guard before they have time to regroup, then we'll have the upper hand."

"No." I muttered, teeth clenched. Chrom glared daggers at me, eyes glassy with annoyance. "There's a better way to go about this."

"I'm not going to let him stand for what he's done."

"You know what Chrom? He'll pay. Naga bless Ylisse, he will pay. But you don't have to be death's agent!" I found myself on the verge of trying to hogtie the Prince so that I could gain some control over the situation.

"Yes I do. Marth said so herself." Chrom retorted, obviously amused with his response.

"You made a mistake, milord." It was Frederick who interrupted our heated argument. Chrom turned to him in slight reluctance, shaking his head.

"Go on, Frederick."

"Milord, they won't attack us up here. They can't afford to. That party was meant to offer a peace treaty. The General said so himself." Frederick moved in closer to the map laid out on the table, pointing to Ylisstol. "They've got what they came for. They killed the Exalt. Now unless he plans on coming after you to murder the last of the family, he'll stay put. He's not dumb enough to fall for attacking a fully gunned Ferox. He knows they have an army here."

I saw this as an opportunity to speak up. "You know, he does have a point, Chrom. There's no sense in going after him if he's–"

"Shepherds, we march for Plegia!" Chrom yelled, walking out of the room with heavy footsteps.

"No!"

Frederick hesitated. "Um, Milord, that's not exactly–"

"No! No, Chrom! Dammit! We can't do that!" I yelled desperately, leaving the table to shout down the hall. "Dammit, Chrom! Get back here!" Just then, someone came up behind me, running towards Chrom. "Sumia..." I looked in horrified shock as the girl I loved ran up to Chrom and kissed him. My jaw dropped in stunned silence. First he decides to obliterate an army for the sake of vengeance, and now he's managed to win over the only girl I might forever love. So that's where her heart truly lied all this time.

I couldn't say another word. I had to think this out. I ran past the war room, out the double doors, and into the courtyard. From there, my feet flew up the stairs and I soon found myself in my room. I felt like a teenage girl fleeing the wrath of her angry mother. Crap. What's next? Sumia leaves me over some cold-blooded Prince. Emmeryn dies because of my failure. Everyone gets almost slaughtered because of my carelessness in the midmire. And now we're marching blindly into a brawl with Plegia we could not possibly hope to win.

After a few minutes of stressful thinking, I decided that I'd better go with the plan and help strategize. No matter how unruly Chrom was, he couldn't win this war without some source of brain. And it definitely wasn't going to come from anyone with the likes of Vaike. I reached for the knob, but a rasp on the door stopped me cold.

"Ae'dyn?" It was Chrom. Outstanding. "Listen, I know you really disagree with me, but I honestly think that–"

"Shut up." I mumbled, and was met with silence. Breathe, Ae'dyn. Breathe. "Look Chrom. I just have one question."

"I'm listening." He sounded almost upset. I could understand why.

"What would Emmeryn do?" The words pained me to even say her name, but it was true. And beyond true, it was completely relevant. The silence that followed made me slightly worried. Worried that I had pushed it a bit too far.

"She would have forgiven them." The reply was slow. As if spoken by someone who had a burning fever. I opened the door, peering through at the Prince who had his head bowed low. "It wasn't Gangrel's fault she died. She did it to save me from another war. She did it for the people. To protect our hope. To keep the Fire Emblem out of the wrong hands." Now we were getting somewhere.

"Look. Let's think this through. We can't jeopardize the peace that she died for. But we've got to fight for it whenever we can. If we were to put an end to all this corruption, we'd need to do it now. There is a way to make this work, if we just plan before charging into battle. If we can meet Gangrel's forces before they regroup, we'll have the advantage. Just like Frederick said. It'll have to be fast though."

"You are right. Thoughtlessness is a risk I can't afford to take. My father would have killed them all, my sister would have forgiven them. But for the protection of the peace that Emm offered the world, we must defeat the only source of corruption we face." Chrom smiled, clapping me on the shoulder. "Now let's get back to that war room, friend."

* * *

**A/N: I've been getting advice to shape up the structure and length of my paragraphs. Let me reassure you, I will fix this problem in later chapters. In fact, I already have. I am incredibly busy and don't quite have the time to edit the paragraphs right now. I apologize if this bothers you currently, but starting a few chapters from now, it will not be happening much again. Thank you for understanding.**

**I will hopefully be able to upload another chapter before Christmas. Sadly, I don't have a special chapter for the season, but I might do something else for on the side... Keep your eyes open. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review if you have any comments, critiques, or questions related to the story itself!**

**And as always, my friends, have an incredible day! **

**\- Shadow**


	10. Chapter 10 - The Mad King

Chapter 10

The Mad King

* * *

An eerie silence hung in the air. Clouds soared ominously over the wastelands, and occasional streaks of bright morning light edged their way through the stormy sky. Even the trees were still, only rustling softly whenever a warm breeze blew through the forest.

"Are you sure this will work?" Chrom asked, walking over a clump of dead grass.

"Unless the scouts were wrong, we should be almost on top of them." I mused, looking around at the thin trees that scarcely covered us from being seen. "There's the clearing." I held up a hand to silently stop everyone, and the footsteps ceased. I crouched low to the ground, hiding behind a shrub just outside of the battlefield to-be.

Then I noticed Chrom's eyes staring over the bush with me. "That's them. Exactly like the scouts reported. I wonder how long they've been holding this position... Are they not going to flee to Castle Plegia?" I wondered, fiddling with the sash around my waist.

"It appears Gangrel is inside that fortress. Yeah, that's him right there." I looked to where Chrom was talking about, and saw the mad king, at the rear of the army, standing on the wall of an old fort.

"I find it odd that they aren't leaving, though. How long have they been expecting us to come? Days?" I asked, looking at their formation, studying the troop patterns. It was all laid out exactly like the scouts said.

"I don't like it. But it doesn't matter. Gangrel needs to be exterminated before his ugly reign strips more helpless victims of their loved ones." Chrom muttered between clenched teeth.

"Try to keep it together, Chrom. We still have a war to win, and vengeance won't solve it all." I stated before crouching back towards the tree line. Once under cover again, I dove behind the thicker bushes we had stopped before. Chrom followed after me, and I soon had everyone's attention. All twenty-two of them. "Shepherds. Remember your pre-planned positions. Break up into your groups." The soldiers started mumbling and shuffling their feet, apparently nervous. "Oh come on. It's just Gangrel." As if on cue, Frederick rode up on his armored horse, and quickly dismounted.

"Milord!" He called. Chrom instantly nodded, urging the knight to continue. "I've a report from Khan Flavia! The Plegian army is in disarray!"

"They scared?" Gaius asked from the crowd with a nervous laugh.

"Not possible. It's another means entirely."

"How do you mean, Frederick?" Chrom asked, befuddled by the situation.

"It seems many of their soldiers are opposed to further violence. There has been rioting, desertion... Gangrel is trying to stamp out the mutiny by force, but with little success. Outside of a few faithful who serve him directly, his army has all but collapsed." Frederick continued solemnly, not so much as twitching while speaking.

"That's great. But, how...? Why–?" Chrom paused as he answered his own question in sorrow, yet a hint of happiness hidden in his tone. "...Emm."

"Aye, Milord. Emmeryn. The report says that some of Gangrel's men chant her name as they abandon the field." Frederick smiled finally as he continued. "Her words, and her sacrifice, have made her a hero of sorts."

"Emm..." Chrom paused for a second, eyes becoming glossy with emotion. "Why did it take me so long to understand? She believed that all people desired peace. She knew, deep down, the Plegians wanted it, too." He stared at the ground solemnly. "...It just took her life to bring it to the surface." He blinked out his tears, then sniffed as he regained his composure. "Sorry, everyone."

"That said, if we are to attack, it is to be now." Frederick added, falling into position behind Chrom.

"Right. Ae'dyn?" Chrom said, turning to face me.

After a few empty stares from the rest of the Shepherds, I spoke up. "Okay then. Our group headed to the west will strike first. The leader of this division is Frederick. Stahl, Sully, Kellam, Panne, Libra, Donnel, and Nowi. You all will follow Frederick's commands. Your group will march straight to the west of here, and attack their left flank. They'll become confused, and attack you. Be ready."

"But what if we can't hold the damn pigs off?" Sully snorted, crossing her arms.

"Virion will head the archers of the Feroxi army. They will aid you with volleys of arrows. They will stay under the cover of the trees, though. So don't expect much physical aid. But we have little time. The Feroxi army will arrive any moment now, and they'll attack from the west as well. We need to coordinate attacks with them via line of sight. The other half of the Feroxi army will attack from the east, and so will the eastern division."

"Uh... Question!" A young boy with a large Mage hat asked from the back of the crowd. "If the Feroxi army is divided into two, then who will aid our middle division?"

"I'll get to that, Ricken. But first, the group that will attack the eastern flank will be consisting of a slightly quicker force, led by Lon'qu; Vaike, Gaius, Gregor, Ricken, Lissa, Miriel, Tharja, and Anna. You will attack them at the east, and cause confusion apart from the western group. Plegia, at this point will be disoriented, and won't see the next part coming." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"The final group, consisting of myself, Chrom, Sumia, Maribelle, and Cordelia, will fly over the battle, and challenge the direct force of Gangrel himself. The other two groups, should by that time, have been able to break through the enemy lines, and reinforce us with more troops. If you can't get through, bring the battle around so that we can fight them off as one. We won't last long if we lie in separate groups too long; they'll pick us off too quickly."

"Well said." Chrom nodded, frowning in deep contemplation. "So we just slaughter everyone in our way of Gangrel, and then kill the Mad King and that should force the rest of Plegia into surrender?"

"Yes. The Feroxi should be arriving any moment now. When we see their signal, we march–" I started, but was cut off by a sharp whizz by my ear. I looked down and saw an arrow stuck in the ground, a letter rolled around the shaft. I untied the note, and proceeded to read its contents.

...

_Ae'dyn, we are in position. Our attack will commence once this letter reaches you. Have fun._

_Basilio_

_..._

I couldn't help but smirk at his humor, but when I did, the seriousness of the situation rang through my chest.

"Today we put an end to Mad King Gangrel and bring peace back to the land." Chrom raised his voice into the crowd as he pointed Falchion skyward. "Today, we bring peace to Ylisse! For Emmeryn!" Cries of agreement rose from the Shepherds as we all turned in preparation for the upcoming battle. We separated into our groups, and the West and East quickly ran to their positions, under cover of the trees.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Maribelle said firmly, hitting her parasol on the palm of her hand.

"Me too." I muttered, looking out at the western hills. The Feroxi banner flew high, and I could barely make out the shapes of Frederick, Stahl and the others, riding through the forest to meet them. Out at the eastern hills, Lon'qu's team was intercepting the Feroxi army, who rode in fast on light and heavy cavalry. The western group entered the wasteland where the battlefield was going to presumably take place, the Feroxi right behind them. The left flank of Gangrel's army was startled, and every soldier scrambled to grab their weapons. A few ran out of fear, deserting the battlefield, and leaving Gangrel to yell at them in anger.

The two armies collided, and strikes of metal rang out into the once-calm air. The right flank, not noticing the approaching army from the east, had turned their back to aid the left side. Lon'qu's group ran down the hill, swords unsheathing as they closed the distance. All too late, the Plegians turned, and found themselves being slaughtered from behind. The diversion had worked perfectly so far.

"I'm impressed." Maribelle smiled, grabbing her lance. She had opted to become a knight after we found a riderless Pegasus in the stables in Ferox. Now equipped with armor and full battle attire, she didn't look quite as regal as she normally does, although the bows she tied in her hair and on her belt helped to conserve her usual sense of style.

Chrom turned to me, obviously anxious to spill Gangrel's blood all over Falchion. "Alright, Ae'dyn, let's go kill this son of a–"

"Prince Chrom!" A light voice echoed through the forest, and the Prince immediately froze in shock. A girl with long pink hair rode in on a chocolate brown horse, dismounting quickly once she arrived in front of us. "Milord, I'm here. I hope I'm not too late." She blushed, giving a small curtsy towards Chrom.

"Olivia? How did you catch up so fast?" Chrom asked, almost gawking at her appearance. I stared at him in shock. Was he really staring at her? Was he REALLY looking at her like that?! The silence that ensued was only made more awkward by Olivia's embarrassed blush in her cheeks. I popped Chrom in the ribs with my elbow, snapping him from his trance. "Wh–What happened?" He asked, startled.

I coughed, hiding my eyes in my hands. Olivia turned away, clearly flustered. "Please don't look at me. I get too embarrassed. I'm not even good at dancing, but Khan Basilio says it's good for the spirit... Even then, it's mortifying." Her cheeks were now a beet red, as Chrom's gaze kept flying over her body. This was going a bit too far.

"Captain!" I heard Sumia's voice calling to Chrom, but couldn't pinpoint it exactly. "Snap out of it!" As if on cue, the girl's fist suddenly flew out of nowhere into Chrom's jaw, sending him reeling backwards with a muffled crack.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" Chrom yelped in pain, holding his jaw with his right hand. "Ouch..."

"Oh no! Did I do it wrong?" Sumia gasped. "Captain Phila always used to say that sometimes someone needs a good slap to knock them out of their doldrums."

"Sumia!" Maribelle moaned, closing her eyes in annoyance. "When you slap someone, dear, you do it with an open palm."

"You just punched my–uh... Chrom in the face!" Cordelia snapped, face white with shock. Oh. OH. I could see where this was going.

"Um... It's the thought that counts?" Sumia laughed nervously, shrinking away in embarrassment.

"Dang that hurt..." Chrom rubbed his face, wincing at the pain. Olivia blinked in shock as to what she had just witnessed, and stood in silence until Chrom finally recovered.

"Chrom, we still have a Mad King to tear down. So if you're done... Gawking at this flower here, then we'd best be on our way." I said with a tone of annoyance. Giggles arose from Maribelle, while Cordelia looked hurt, oddly. Sumia stomped the ground with her foot in frustration, and Olivia tried to cover her flush with her hair.

"Y-Yes. R-Right." Chrom stammered, then proceeded to rip his gaze away from the bombshell in front of him. "Let's go kill this dastard once and for all."

"Aaaaaaand Chrom is back, ladies and gentlemen." I muttered to myself, following the Prince and the riders to their mounts.

"Milord, where should I...?" Olivia started, and just decided to follow after me, seeing as her horse had ran off for some odd reason.

"So, what do you do?" I asked, turning to her.

She blushed yet again, and replied quietly. "I dance. According to Basilio, my moves make men want to work twice as hard. I'm not sure if that's good or bad." She laughed nervously, holding her hands up to her chest, as if trying to shrink away. "But I also can flail around a sword, so if you are extremely desperate, then I might be able to assist you."

"That's good. No need to put yourself down. You'll come with us, we have room." I looked up from her, watching Chrom walking next to a clearly flustered Cordelia. I needed to find out more about what everyone's true feelings were here, though... Sumia looked upset earlier. And Cordelia... Maybe I should find out. "Hey, Chrom!" I called, and everyone stopped. "Olivia should ride with Sumia. Her Pegasus is smaller than Maribelle or Cordelia's."

"Good point." The Prince nodded. The next part, I watched everyone's reactions carefully. Sumia closed her eyes and bit her lip, strangely. I also could have sworn that Cordelia stuck her tongue out at Sumia, which was extremely unusual, and she also shot a look of jealousy at Maribelle, who smiled contently. Well, it appears that everyone here except Olivia likes Chrom. It seems Sumia has an undying want to be near Chrom, Cordelia has a desire for him to notice her, and Maribelle seems to have at least some sort of crush on him. Man, I wish the girls were fawning over me like that. I wonder if Olivia...? I quickly erased the thought from my mind. We had a battle to fight. I needed to focus. I couldn't even begin to think about starting a relationship with anyone right now, especially when I'm in this tactical position.

I watched carefully as well as Chrom hopped up behind Maribelle. Surprisingly, she blushed when he wrapped his arms around her waist in preparation. Sumia suddenly had a fascination with the ground, and couldn't stop staring at the darn rocks beneath her feet. And this left me alone with the crimson rider. Again. I walked up to Cordelia, ready to hop on behind her, when I caught her blushing, and staring dreamily at Chrom too. Olivia's voice could be heard urging Sumia to hurry. Maribelle took off, making Chrom tighten his grip, and this only made Cordelia's frown deepen.

"Um... Cordelia?" I asked, ready to hop up behind her.

"Huh? What?" She asked, hair whipping around her face as she turned to look at me, the flush still in her cheeks.

"Let's go...?" I added, taking her hand, and swinging myself onto the saddle behind. I put my arms around her waist awkwardly, now feeling significantly unwanted compared to Chrom. But why? Why was I thinking like this? I didn't honestly want to start a relationship, did I? I had vowed never to fall in love with anyone but Sumia. These feelings were unimportant, and showed no sort of strength; only weakness and useless emotion. I quickly discarded any such thoughts, and instead held on tight as the Pegasus took off into the air. Although we had been fighting for the past few minutes, the battle had just begun. It was far from over.

* * *

Arrows zinged by us as we flew through the sky above the battlefield. From up here, I could see that everything was going just as planned. Frederick's group had made significant progress in eliminating the western half of Gangrel's army, who were still disorganized. Lon'qu's group was having difficulty taking out the mages in the eastern half, but the Feroxi cavalry reinforcements helped apply the force to the near-defenseless sorcerers. Both sides were making progress, and Gangrel's army had already shrunk down to about four fifths of its original size.

"Go in low to the ground. Head for that cluster of trees." I called to Cordelia, who nodded in agreement. The Pegasus dove lower, soaring about fifteen feet off the ground. "I'm going to jump off, and dispatch these archers. Get out of here immediately afterwards." I paused in preparation before adding, "And give the signal."

"Yes sir." Cordelia replied, straightening her back as she prepared to pull up. The trees zoomed closer, and the archers turned to look up. Dammit, that wasn't supposed to happen! I prepared to push off and...

A sharp whizz of air. The Pegasus suddenly kicked out from under me, sending Cordelia and I flying. Tree branches cracked as I fell through the thin foliage. Something sharp hit my shoulder, but it was only nullified as I slammed into the ground with the same shoulder. I gasped for air, but nothing came. I rolled over, trying to force it, but I couldn't breathe. Archers ran towards me, and I had only seconds. I struggled to my feet, still trying to breathe. Unsheathing Ragnell, I hurled it at one archer's head. It hit its mark with tremendous force, causing the others to blink in shock. I ran to retrieve it, dodging arrows as I went. I pulled the sword out from the corpse and–

A sudden, sharp pain shot through my body, sending me to my knees. I had been shot in the side. Crap, here comes anoth–WHAP! Straight in the chest. I blinked in pain, watching helplessly as the life drained from me... Black blotches my sight, but I stood anyway. We had to kill Gangrel. I couldn't and wouldn't die like this. I gripped my blade, slamming it straight into another body. I ran forward, hacking off another man's head. Pain coursed through my every muscle. Blood fell to the ground, and I knelt in defeat. Two more were left, and they both took aim. So this is it. This is how it... ends...

"NO!" A cry broke through my pounding ears. A Pegasus swooped down out of nowhere, air rushing into my face. An archer shot, and the Pegasus whinnied in agony. The rider leapt from the saddle, slamming her lance down into one man's body. The other tried to reload, but was met only with a slap across the face from the butt of the rider's lance. She ran to me, slowly. Through clouded vision, I blinked up at her. She had beautiful brown hair that flowed down to mid torso...

"Sumia..." I barely managed to whisper. Darkness loomed closer, and I collapsed.

"No! You're not going to die! Breathe." Sumia said firmly, seriously. "Breathe. You ARE okay. Stay with me. Come on now."

"Sorry... I'm not..." I gulped through pain. "Not going to make it..." I cringed horribly at the ache that twisted through my entire body.

"Yes you are. Breathe." Sumia replied sternly. She seemed dead serious, but I caught a glimpse of a tear forming in her left eye, and then she blinked.

"I thought that you didn't..." I muttered, then decided not to say that. "It's cold." I shivered, feeling blood on my fingers. It soaked my shoulder, my side, me chest... And it began streaming from my mouth too. I never imagined death to be so cold.

"No. No. Stay..." Sumia tried to keep calm. "Stay with me. I'm here." She knelt and placed a hand on my chest. Something I never thought that she'd do.

"Ae'dyn! Hold on!" It was Olivia. But all I could see was her pink hair in a long blur. She got down beside Sumia, and soon, I felt a cool liquid running down my throat. I didn't know what it was, but I swallowed anyway. This was a horrible feeling... Then everything went numb, and the darkness enveloped my vision.

* * *

Voices cried in my head, my mind swam like a vortex. I suddenly found myself screaming, bolting to my feet. This was strange. Where was I? No, I can't have left... I can't have! Where am I?!

"Ae'dyn! Ae'dyn!" Sumia cried, slamming into me with a tight hug. I struggled to breathe again, but this time welcomed the feeling. I was alive, right? "Oh, Ae'dyn. Thank Naga... You're alive!" She laughed, finally letting go.

"What happened?" I asked groggily, taking in my surroundings. I was in a forest. I was in the same spot as before! Why did I think it was different before?

"You were out cold after Olivia gave you an elixir. It's been about half an hour. But the battle hasn't been won yet. Gangrel is putting up a fight. We need our tactician to get us through." She smiled warmly, grabbing her lance.

"Oh gods, you almost have me a heart attack!" Cordelia gasped, walking up with a straight face. Then she smiled upon stopping in front of me. "Sir." She saluted, smile broadening. "Two Pegasi are down. Chrom and Maribelle are on patrol in the skies. Are you okay?"

"Yeah... But Naga, that hurts..." I said, feeling the bruises left from the puncture wounds I used to have. Then a flap of wings signified an arrival.

"Ae'dyn! Thank Naga you're alright!" Chrom shouted, leaping off of Maribelle's Pegasus. He ran over to me, tackled me into a bear hug, and laughed nervously. "We thought we had lost you! Thank God our fears weren't realized." He pulled away, then turned towards the battlefield. "Gangrel's men are holding that fort, and are repelling our every attack. No fallen, but the Feroxi numbers have been diminished greatly. I suppose it's time we get back into the fray?"

"Yes. Let's." I smiled, unsheathing Ragnell. "Maribelle, take Olivia and circle the skies. Keep a look out of the action.

"Oh, but–!" Olivia started.

"But what?" I asked in response.

"N-Nothing. Never mind." Olivia muttered as she turned towards the last standing Pegasus.

"Alright then, Chrom. Let's kill this dastard." I said firmly, turning to run out of the forest with Chrom, Sumia, and Cordelia right on my heels.

"I'm with you, as always, friend." The Prince stated with a smile. We began marching towards the fort. But what I saw differed from the reports. Something had gone terribly wrong...

"Uh Chrom?" I asked, blinking to make sure I was seeing straight.

Chrom nodded his response and unsheathed Falchion with his right hand. "I see it."

"What the hell happened to our men?" I asked, bewildered and utterly distraught. I looked over the battlefield. The fort stood untouched, and yet the Feroxi army lay demolished. Only a few warriors still stood against the closing army, but the air still smelled of fresh blood and death.

A squad of pikemen turned around upon hearing us, and I quickly cursed my big mouth. "There they are! Get them!" One of the soldiers yelled, charging forward, with the rest in hot pursuit.

"Strategy?" Chrom asked with a frown as he readied his blade.

"Nope." I muttered, sheathing my sword. "We fight."

"Then why are you sheathing your sword?!" Chrom cried, eyes widening as the enemies ran at us at full speed.

"I'm going to try something..." I smiled nervously, glancing over at Cordelia. "And it had better work." I closed my eyes, recalling an old chant that Miriel had taught me a while back. I focused my attention on my surroundings... Taking in everything. The air, the sounds of footsteps, the warm breeze as it swept through the trees...

_..._

_Oh divine lady Naga, here I stand._

_Unarmed; hear me, I have nothing in hand._

_Grant me the powers of legend._

"AE'DYN! They're coming!" Chrom's voice rang through my head, but I ignored it.

_Make me worthy to bring forth the end._

_From deep in my soul I call on your splendor._

_Grant me the calming powers of Exthunder!_

_..._

A surge of electricity rose from my feet to my head, and my eyes flew open. I took in everything. Never had I expected this to work. Yet here I was...

Time slowed to almost a stop. I saw a pikeman in front of me, lance raised and aimed for my head. I sidestepped and flung out my hand, sending a thick bolt of lightning hurling down from the clouds. The blast incinerated the soldier, materializing him into a charred corpse.

I turned and saw Chrom deflecting the lance of another, and I quickly sent a shock soaring in his attacker's direction too. The body hit the ground with a thud, and Chrom looked over at me in slow motion.

I turned and saw another pikeman throwing Sumia down onto the ground, and Cordelia running to defend her. There was no way I could shock the assailant without hitting the girls as well. I jumped forward, breaking the time standstill, and grabbing Sumia's lance from the ground. Lunging forward, I thrust aside the Plegian's spear, smashing the lance into his stomach, sending him reeling backwards. I followed up with a blow to the chest, and the man was dead. Three more remained.

One charged me, spear swinging wildly as he prepared to strike. I dodged to the side, remembering what Lon'qu told me. Using his momentum against him, I slammed the butt of Sumia's lance into the soldier's back, making him fall forward. He tripped and flew straight into Cordelia's poised lance, losing his brain in the process. Two to go.

I turned and saw them, both rushing at me in time. Chrom rushed at one, but I sped past him, leaping through the air. Both pikemen watched in amazement as I unsheathed Ragnell mid-jump. I landed with a crash of metal on bone as I slid both weapons through their useless corpses.

Smiling darkly to myself, I felt the energy leave my body, the invigorating electric shock exiting through my arms. I turned around, feeling quite proud, holding both weapons still firmly in my hands. The look was written on all of their faces. Shock.

Sumia stared wide-eyed from the ground, Chrom nearly dropped Falchion, and Cordelia frowned at the corpse still impaled by the head on her steel lance, mouth agape. "We done?" I asked, walking to Sumia and helping her off the ground. She looked at me in disbelief, and I handed her the lance I borrowed. She stared at it, dumbfounded, as I turned to Chrom.

"Let's keep going." I smiled, still amused by his reaction. It was almost comical. But truth be told, I had no idea that I could ever do that. I was just as shocked as they were. Legend had it that one being could only preform the maneuver once, lest they should incinerate their brain with the overload of mental shock due to the environment when performing the act. But if any time had called for it, it had been now. When we were about to end this war.

Without any more questions, we continued walking towards the fray. "Lon'qu's group is in position. Looks like Frederick has punched a hole in their formation. The weakest point to enter would be the middle. Let's move before it closes up." I said simply, looking over at Chrom, who had returned back to battle-mode.

I turned around to the knights following us. "We need to divide ourselves so that we can send out simultaneous signals to our troops. I need one of you to go with Chrom, and the other with me." I paused and waited for a reaction. Cordelia silently clapped her hands together, her eyes glistening with excitement. I knew what she wanted, so I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Cordelia goes with Chrom. Sumia, you come with me."

"Ae'dyn, it looks like our forces are split up." Chrom added, turning around from observing the battle. "He's starting to fight his way out."

"Perfect." I replied quickly. "We'll join the rest of our troops, and fold inwards. Once we create a perimeter around Gangrel, we should have no problem taking him out. The plan is working perfectly as of now; Plegia thinks they have the upper hand."

"There you go again... I wish I had your optimism..." Chrom sighed, smiling at me uneasily.

"Oh, and... Captain, I..." Sumia started, but quickly shrunk back and muttered a quick, "Never mind..."

"Each moment we wait is another moment Gangrel's forces have to kill another of our men. Let's go." Cordelia urged, gripping her lance tight. I could tell she was eager to spend some time with Chrom...

I shot a look over at her before turning around again. I smirked and mouthed the words "You're welcome" to her. She blushed and stared at the ground. I looked at the other two. "She's right. It's now or never. Let's go, Chrom."

"Agreed. Let's kill this dastard." Chrom seethed, adjusting his grip on Falchion.

Sumia and I ran towards Lon'qu's group, dodging arrows as we went. We dove under a patch of trees, out of the way and catching our breath. "Are you ready?" I asked the girl beside me. She didn't turn around, and only silence followed. "Sumia..." I looked over at her, only to see that she was staring after Chrom.

I sighed and held up my hand, sending a shock of lightning into the sky. The sound echoed through the air, and caught the attention of all of our nearby troops. Lon'qu instantly ordered soldiers to circle over towards the rear, paving a path for us to meet them. "Let's go." I pulled Sumia up from the ground. She finally moved, but was still silent. "Hey! Sumia!" I snapped my fingers in front of her face. She broke out of her trance, and immediately grabbed her lance. "Time to go." I repeated, and she followed me as we ran out to meet the forces.

"What's the situation?" I yelled to Lon'qu over the clashing of swords and axes.

"They have much bigger numbers than we do. They're overpowering us. We won't be able to hold out for much longer." The swordsman responded as his frown deepened, looking out over the raging battle.

"Order the fall back. We'll fold in and bring the fight to Gangrel's doorstep. Frederick's forces have drawn the other half away from the fortress. We can make it through the middle if we act fast." I stopped and looked into the sky. Sure enough, the flaming signal arrow shot high into the sky, and landed just a few yards away. I turned back to Lon'qu. "Fire it now."

Lon'qu nodded, and pulled his archer aside. He nodded with a grimace, and lit the flaming arrow. With a whiz of air, the bow sent the arrow flying towards Chrom on the opposite side of the battlefield.

"It's time. Fall in!" I ordered. Lon'qu shouted to his men, who immediately reformed and fled east. The Plegians hesitated before trying to attack once more, slaying more men on the other side of the forces. The pocket opened up, and I pulled Sumia and Lon'qu back with me inside the circle of bloodshed. Chrom ran up to me a second later, pulling me along.

"I have no idea how that worked!" He shouted seriously, Falchion in hand. "There's the royal guard. Now!" He yelled, charging forward.

I ran after him, Sumia and Cordelia close behind. The cries of death and the cruel strikes of metal on metal filled the air. Gangrel stood ahead of us, slashing at soldiers who tried to come near him, with his jagged blade. It somewhat resembled a lightning bolt in how scarily crooked it looked. He moved to attack Chrom, and then realized who it actually was.

"Come for revenge, little princeling?" He cackled, thrusting at Chrom's shoulder. Chrom jumped to the side just in time, turning to face him again.

"This is pointless, Gangrel! You will die today!" Chrom yelled, holding his blade out in front of him.

"Oh, now? Hasn't there already been enough bloodshed?" The Mad King replied, wiping some blood from his sword with his bare finger. "Emmeryn would have never wanted it to come to this!"

"Perhaps so. But she fought for peace, and no man can know peace as long as you are alive!" Chrom retorted, glaring at his nemesis. "I stand for Ylisse, and for all the sense in this world. Today marks the end of your treacherous reign!"

"Are you done yet?! May I vomit now?" Gangrel ranted, pushing another soldier out of his way as he walked towards Chrom and I.

Chrom dismissed the last comment, charging forward again. I followed closely, unsheathing Ragnell in the process. "I will end you today, you monster! For Emmeryn!" Chrom cried, leaping into the air. He crashed into the man, his sword blocking Gangrel's. Gangrel pushed him off, skirting around to attack with another slash to the chest.

Chrom grunted as the jagged edge sliced through his armor, causing electricity to spark from his foe's blade. He stumbled back, but advanced forward again, swinging wide at Gangrel's arm, which he parried instantly. The two swords clashed thousands of times, each strike almost enough to shatter any normal blade to bits. Gangrel thrust Falchion aside, stabbing at Chrom's leg. The hit connected, sending the Prince to the ground, crying in agony. I took the distraction to my advantage.

"He's not alone!" I charged in, swinging Ragnell in an arc aimed for Gangrel's torso. He blocked the attack, turning to face me.

"So eager to die, eh?" He snickered, slashing back at my shoulder. I blocked the slice barely, but it still managed to cut into my skin, making me cry in pain. I refocused, jumping at him from the side. He twisted and blocked yet again, and circled around to stab at me again. I dodged the attack, and Gangrel continued to mock me. "You think that killing me will bring peace? Is that it?!" He shouted, lunging at me another time. I blocked the attack, but it sent my blade out of my hands. I gasped as he recoiled, preparing to strike again.

A cry broke out from behind me, and Cordelia leapt out from nowhere. She moved to strike Gangrel's chest, but he sidestepped the attack, sending his own blade into her shoulder with a horrible crunch. Cordelia cried out in pain, dropping her lance and crumpling to the ground. He moved towards me, raising his sword above his head, aimed right at me for the second time.

"Don't hurt him!" Sumia yelled, leaping out from behind Chrom. Her lance stabbed straight into Gangrel's thigh, sending him toppling down to the ground.

He grunted in pain, but pulled the spear out, standing up to his feet again as if nothing happened. He held Sumia's neck, which made her choke and gasp for air. He lifted her off the ground, pulling his other arm back to stab her.

"Your end has come!" Chrom yelled, flying at Gangrel with all speed. Falchion struck home, sliding out Gangrel's back, covered in crimson.

Gangrel choked, stumbling backwards to the ground. Blood began to pool around him. "This... This is only the... Beginning... And you will all die. As will every man die." He heaved a final breath, clutching at the sand beneath him. "... Alone." He muttered, gritting his teeth, which were now blood stained.

"For Emmeryn." Chrom seethed, standing over Gangrel's body. He stabbed again, striking Gangrel's heart. The King's eyes widened as his skin grew pale. The rasp of his breath ceased, and his head lay back on the red sand around him. The Mad King was dead.

I gasped for air, standing up from the ground in shock. I turned to Chrom, who doubled over in pain, still staring at the lifeless body. The battlefield grew silent. Plegians who saw their leader die, laid down their weapons immediately. The entire army was now in complete surrender. We had won. We had brought peace to Ylisse.

* * *

**A/N: And thus ends the cycle of the actual game. Well, for now, at least. I honestly think this is one of the worst chapters I've ever posted. It's filled with plot holes and bad decisions on my part as the story writer. I apologize for this. **

**Also, I'll be posting a short story in the next day or so for the Christmas hype. Keep an eye out for it! **

**I think that's about all I have to say... Thank you so much for reading this! My hat's off to those of you who have been loyally supporting and encouraging me through this adventure thus far. I'm looking at you, Gokart48... Thank you.**

**But aside from general fluff and stuff, I will now end this author's note with a bang...**

**... The next update will be coming SOON after Christmas. Be ready for some emotion, readers and friends alike. **

**That being said, have an amazing day, and a very Merry Christmas to all of you. **

**And to all a good night,**

**\- Shadow**


	11. Chapter 11 - The Law of Engagement

\- Chapter Eleven -

* * *

"...We did it." Chrom heaved a sigh, sheathing the blood-coated Falchion into the scabbard on his belt. "We've won..." He said softly, gazing around at the silence of the landscape.

Now what? I had been through so much with this army. My entire life had led up to this point. Was there anything for me next? What was one to do after a battle, when the field brought forth rivers of blood; tears shed for the death and destruction. War is a simple thing. What comes afterwards... That's what's hard.

I found myself taking small steps towards a nearby corpse, watching dazedly as the blood wept from the soldier's twisted torso. A single mark of water had dried on his cheek. The tear had paved a line down his cold, pallid skin. This man had probably had a family, off somewhere in the desert... Living poor and helpless under the same roof... And yet, not even the justice that we had delivered could save him. It was a pity that so many lives had been wasted in an attempt for peace. But was the peace we had brought worth it?

Looking at the reign of terror that King Gangrel had wrought upon this world, it was worth the price. One can only hope that these valiant soldiers' final moments were of the same peace that we all sought.

I stood slowly from kneeling by the corpse's side. Hearing footsteps approaching, I turned towards the sound. Sumia walked towards me, her face a mixture of confusion and relief. "Why did they all have to die?" She muttered, coming to a halt beside me.

I sighed deeply, closing my eyes tight. "Some sacrifices must be made. Sacrifice is the only way to victory." I tried to speak convincingly, but I noticed that my voice cracked and my throat had begun to knot up.

"What do we do now?" Sumia asked, resting her head on my shoulder. My heart skipped as I felt her hugging me, her soft hair cascading down my arm. "Ae'dyn?" She asked, looking up at me for the answer. I then realized that I had been spacing out.

"I don't know..." I sighed, hesitantly moving to wrap my arm around her waist...

"First thing's first... We congratulate Ae'dyn on his successful strategy." Said a strong voice from behind me. I turned my head to see Chrom smiling wide at the two of us. His grin quickly dissipated as soon as I frowned at him. "I'm... Sorry, am I interrupting something?" He added sheepishly, taking a step backwards. "I'll... Leave you two alone..."

"Chrom." Sumia called. I looked down at her in surprise, seeing her lift her head from my shoulder. She smiled and walked towards the young Prince.

Then a small cough came from the other side of Chrom. "Uh... Captain! Congratulations on the victory. You deserved it..." Cordelia blushed as Chrom turned to face her, and then smiled in embarrassment as he looked towards her.

"Milord! The Plegian forces are surrendering en masse. Victory is surely secured." Frederick stated as he broke through the line of people towards the Prince as well. "If I may say so, that was one hell of a battle. Perhaps one should plan like Ae'dyn more often." He nodded sincerely, not cracking a smile or any other sign of emotion.

"Indeed." Chrom smiled at me, turning to do so. "We certainly would not have won without him."

I rolled my eyes at the praise, kicking a rock away with my foot. The sun had begun to peek through the clouds, streams of light making the landscape glow vividly. The war was finally over. Only time would tell how long this peace would last.

...

...

Life in Ylisse had finally started to slow down. Chrom had insisted that I sleep in my own room in the palace, instead of the usual sleeping-on-the-work-desk. The peace had just begun to develop, and yet, I had already begun to feel a sense of urgency. Maybe it was just the fact that I was still in tactician-mode. Maybe I was the one who needed to relax.

Morning had come, and for the first time that we had been back in our home country, I watched the sun rise. It wasn't much of a show, but the deep blue shades of dawn mixed brilliantly with the brighter hues of yellow that lined the mountains to the east. The cold air hit my face as I stood on the balcony, over looking the woods outside of the castle. Birds chirped happily as they sped through the maze of foliage, and the soft flutter of leaves scraped gently on the forest floor.

"Up so early, huh?" Came a high-pitched voice from behind me. I turned to see Lissa walking groggily towards me. For sounding so ecstatic, she sure didn't appear that way. "I suppose you had to compensate for the lack of late-nighters..." The princess added before letting out a small yawn.

"Well, today's a big day. I figured I'd try a few things differently." I answered, turning to look back at the serene landscape.

"Oh, you're excited for my brother's coronation?" She asked, her shoulders drooping a slight bit as she leaned against a pillar, hugging her robe tighter against her body.

"Not exactly... But let's just say I have a few surprises up my sleeve." I smiled to myself, turning my attention to the misty mountains in the far distance, lined with a golden glow from the sun.

"Okay, now you've got me interested." Lissa beamed, suddenly appearing right beside me, her face brightened up a bit. "What do you have in mind?"

"None of your concern, little missy." I smirked, ruffling the top of her head with my left hand. "But let's just say that it involves a special-"

Lissa gasped and nearly yelled in my ear. "You're gonna propose?! To who?!" She yelped, tugging on my arm in desperation.

"Uh... No I'm not. I can't even begin to think about such things until... until..." I found my gaze drifting to the hallway behind Lissa. A strikingly beautiful knight walked past, elegantly turning her head as she looked around the rooms she passed. Her eyes sparkled in the morning light, and her amazing brown hair fell down her back in a waterfall of perfection... Beautiful. Interrupted, I continued fumbling my words for some reason... "...until..."

Somehow, Lissa had caught who I was staring at, and began jumping up and down euphorically. "I'd say someone's got the hots for Sumia!" She hollered, bouncing up and down like a baby kangaroo.

"...I-I do not!" I cried, staring at Lissa in horrified shock. "How... How could I even begin to think about starting a relationship when Chrom needs me the most?"

"I dunno, mister. You hesitated with that one." Lissa murmured skeptically, her big round eyes trained right on my face. I felt cornered and exposed. It was almost as if she was staring into my soul...

"Not another word, or I'll shove a frog down your pants!" I said spontaneously, searching for a good counter attack.

"You don't have a frog." She scoffed quickly, on the verge of hysterical laughter, but she obviously tried her best to contain it. This just proved that it was a horrible comeback.

"I'll get one!" I retorted, pointing my finger at her.

"Nice try! I don't even have any pants!" She snickered, sticking out her tongue.

"Well then I'll shove it down your... your..." I gestured to her, but rapidly tried to rethink my approach to this, as I realized where I had been gesticulating.

"You wouldn't dare!" Lissa gasped, backing up as a light blush settled in on her cheeks, and she crossed her arms to cover her chest.

"No, I wouldn't... I'm sorry." I said hesitantly, mentally slapping myself for even thinking of such an idea.

Lissa stomped her foot on the floor indignantly, glaring threateningly at me. "Yeah, you wouldn't even want to! You have no clue how many-"

"What's all this about?" Chrom cried incredulously, appearing from inside the hallway to my right.

I'm glad that last sentence was interrupted...

"Ae'dyn's being a pervert!" Lissa said immediately, pointing right at me. I rolled my eyes at the gesture, shaking my head in disappointment.

"Well, whatever it was, I'm sure it can be brought down a few notches. Right, Ae'dyn?" Chrom asked, turning to look at me for a response.

"I agree wholeheartedly." I answered, beginning my walk off of the balcony. Lissa huffed off towards her room, leaving Chrom and I to walk away together. "Well that went well." I added sarcastically, folding my arms.

"Let it go, my friend. She's still a child with much to learn yet." He sighed, gazing around the hallway's structure. "Now then..." He cleared his throat, staring at the floor. "I have a party to plan, and it needs a planner. But I do have a bigger problem..." He stopped and stared at me.

"Oh, here we go..." I muttered to myself, turning to look at him. "Yes?" I spoke up, dropping my arms by my sides.

"Becoming a male Exalt has many requirements..." He said with a sigh, then paused, as if waiting for a response.

"And?" I urged, looking for a hint of nervousness in his language.

"One being the... responsibility of many different things..." He stammered, staring between the floor, the wall, the ceiling... anything but me.

"Cut to the chase..." I stated monotonously, rolling my eyes impatiently.

"And the leadership of the entire country..." He paused and let out a breath of air. "Whew... Yep, that's a big one..."

"Right, yes." I muttered aloud.

"And another being the formation of-"

"Your point?" I interrupted, looking further down the hall.

"The requirement is..." He paused and took a deep breath. "I have to get married." He said quickly, closing his eyes. "It's a law for all male rulers."

"Alright then!" I said after a few seconds of silence, trying to hold back a smile from creeping its way onto my face.

"And I know who the girl is. I just need to know how to do it..." Chrom said nervously, twiddling his thumbs anxiously.

"I'm no good with this stuff, Chrom. You know me..." I sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But all I can say is this: be yourself, and she will love you for it." I held my breath as I felt the words sink in to my own mind. That came out wrong... Just then, Frederick entered the hall, walking steadily towards us.

"Thank you so much, Ae'dyn. I'll meet with you later about the coronation." Chrom called quickly, before running towards the heavily armored knight.

Who could his girl be? It can't be Sumia. There's got to be someone else that he's utterly in love with. I know that I love her. And when a feeling like that is connected, it's destiny. There's no mistaking it. So maybe I am ready for a relationship? If it had to be done, I had to do it. And I would make it happen. Just as I thought this, I saw her, my beautiful girl enter the library on the opposite end of the hall. Prepare yourself Sumia. I'm going to rock your world. And I'll catch you if you fall while I do so.

...

...

I walked briskly towards the training arena, my heart pounding heavily as I placed foot after foot onto the path in front of me. I entered in through the wooden doors, looking around the open stone stadium. A crimson-haired girl leaned forward continuously, stab after stab landing precisely where she aimed at a training dummy. Just as I thought.

"Cordelia!" I called out to her, quickening my pace to a jog. She didn't stop thrusting her lance, but merely acknowledged my presence with a glance over her shoulder.

"What's up?" She panted, continuing to strike the immobile figure.

"I have a favor to ask you..." I said calmly, coming to a halt beside her. She didn't stop her training, still striking the target every single time. So I decided to take it a step further... "It's about Chrom." Finally, she faltered, the slightest flinch in her form, and her aim flew wide left, sending the spear into the dummy's hand. Her cheeks turned red, and not from exhaustion.

"C-Chrom?" She asked, frowning at her own mistake. She pulled out the lance, and turned to face me, wiping her hair out of her eyes.

"Yes. But first, I have a confession to make..." I stated slowly, looking around the arena for an spectators. I saw none, and I continued. "I'm madly in love with Sumia. And I'm not joking." I hesitated, leaning in closer to whisper it in her ear.

"And you need me... why?" She asked, staring at the ground silently.

"You're her best friend. Now, Chrom has to pick a woman to marry. It's part of his requirements for being Exalt." I paused to think about my wording. "So if you could help me win Sumia over... Then I'll help you get with Chrom. Does that sound like a deal?" I asked, looking her square in the eye.

"W-Wait, you want to help me win Chrom's h-heart?" She asked, her face paling before turning red again.

"Yes. But you must help me with Sumia first." I smiled, watching as she began to get flustered. She began fidgeting, flushing a deeper red than before.

After moments of hard-thought silence, she finally spoke. "Done." She said solemnly, her face as straight as it could be. She reached out her hand, and I shook it, leading to a gentle smile settling in on her lips.

"Thank you." I responded, feeling the heat in my own cheeks also escalating, as thoughts about Sumia began filling my mind. The girl of my dreams was at my finger tips. All I had to do was reach out and take her.

...

...

In the days that followed, rumors had begun to spread about who the new Exalt was to marry. According to Chrom himself, he already had it planned out perfectly. Only time would tell who it was...

"Milord!" I ran down to hall next to Frederick, footsteps pounding down the corridor as we approached the Exalt's throne room. "Milord..." Frederick stopped suddenly to bow deeply.

Chrom rolled his eyes as he gazed up from his throne. "Frederick, you don't have to-"

Before another word could be spoken, the royal knight had already begun to interject. "Nonsense, milord. It is my duty as a knight to affiliate-"

"What is it, Frederick?" The Exalt sighed, eyeing the armor-clad knight kneeling before him.

"Milord, it's about your party. Ae'dyn needs your consultation."

"Ae'dyn?" Chrom asked, turning to me with a reluctant gaze.

Caught off guard by the knight's words, I muttered until I found the right phrase. "Uh... Chrom, I'm not sure I'm fit to be the best man at your wedding." I stated as confidently as I could.

"Oh, nonsense. No other Shepherd has ever been as good a friend as you." Chrom stated monotonously, as if he had recited the lines a hundred times over.

"What about-" I began, but was cut off by Frederick's deep voice.

"Milord, I told him previously that there would be no other man fit to be. But more importantly, your announcement to the Shepherds is nigh in ten minutes." He said gruffly, his face showing to sign of expression.

Chrom's head fell forward into his hands. Arms rested on his knees, the new Exalt heaved a deep sigh of frustration. Silence filled the room. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle taps of footsteps sounding far away in the palace. The quiet continued...

Finally, after what seemed like the ten minutes had passed, Chrom lifted his head, a nervous smile on his lips. A slight red tinted his cheeks as he glanced around the room. "Well... No time like the present." He muttered, pushing himself up from the seat and beginning to stand to his feet.

"Milord, we'd best not keep them waiting." Frederick reminded him, standing to his own feet. I quickly copied his move, standing up as well. Chrom strode past both of us, leading Frederick to scramble to get ahead of him. "Milord! Allow me!" He began almost excitedly.

"Frederick!" Chrom muttered, clenching his teeth together between a tight jaw. The knight hurried in front of him, clearing the way of all maids and attendants who occasionally passed by.

"No need to thank me, Milord! 'Tis just my duty." Frederick replied quickly, stepping forward as swiftly as his armor would allow and opening the door for Chrom and I.

"You do realize just how incapable this makes me look?!" Chrom cried, wincing as the knight forcefully yanked a broom out of a maid's hands to sweep up a minuscule pile of dirt and dust bunnies. "Gods..." He sighed, planting his weight firmly on my shoulder.

His head rested on my chest, while his arms clutched onto my right shoulder on the opposite side. I nearly collapsed from the added weight, but somehow managed to keep myself somewhat upright. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked, stunned at his reaction.

"No." Chrom replied in a short murmur, gripping my shoulder for dear life. "Someone get me a doctor." He whimpered while I tried to upright him as best as I could, but to no avail.

"A doctor, Milord?" Frederick snapped out of his trance of meticulously sweeping the pile. "Right away!" He rudely shoved the broom back into the poor maid's hands, then took off like a chicken from the coop, sprinting for the door before anyone could stop him.

"Oh but Frederick-!" Chrom started, but the door slammed behind him. Renewed with energy, Chrom pushed himself off of my arm, dashing towards the door. "FREDERICK!" He yelled, while nearly pasting a young slender woman to the ground.

She would make a beautiful carpet though... I laughed to myself at the thought, then quickly dismissed it once I realized how she reminded me of someone. Then it clicked. Oh crap. I forgot all about my...

"Chrom, you bumbling troglodyte! Watch where you're going, you dolt!" All too late I recognized her. While Chrom made a hasty retreat for the door, I was regrettably left exposed in the middle of the hallway. Maribelle turned to stare at me, her big, gorgeous brown eyes glaring daggers straight into my heart. Now I'm in for it.

Without further hesitation, I pivoted on my heel, quickly walking towards the stairs.

"Where are you going, darling? You're late for our etiquette lessons!" She wailed after me. I ignored it as best as I could, but the pleading in her voice was almost too much. I quickly forced my legs forward, taking the steps two at a time.

"I'm busy! Extremely busy!" I called from the next flight, looking down towards the floor below. Seconds later, Maribelle's head of perfectly styled hair came into view, staring up after me.

"And yet you dash like a madman up towards the north wing! Don't you have any clue where you are going?" She shouted after me. I ignored her, reaching for the bronze handle on the door at the end of the flight instead. "Ae'dyn, darling, that's-!" I pulled open the door, and quickly spun into the room and blocking out the haunting voice that seemed to follow me everywhere.

I sighed, dropping my hand from the handle, and opening my eyes. A large hallway spread before me, carpet stretching on the entire length. Just then, I remembered the speech Chrom was to make. I ran towards the window, stopping when I hit the guard rail, and gazing out over the courtyard. There, I could see Chrom and his nanny-like knight walking out towards the barracks. "Shoot." I whispered to myself, looking around the complex in search of the quickest way down there. I turned to get away, "I need to get there before-"

"Ae'dyn!" A feminine voice shattered my thoughts, and I looked up immediately to see Sumia walking towards me, a gentle smile on her face. Light seemed to glow from her as she walked towards me as if in an ethereal hallway. "What are you doing up here in the women's quarters?" The question hit me with a sudden realization. That's what Maribelle was trying to warn me about.

Nothing like a good dose of reality. "I'm..." I stammered, unable to tear my eyes from her. "I mean I'm..." My throat tightened, my mouth turned dry, my heart beat quickened. "Uh... That is to say... We'll be late for Chrom's speech! Aren't you going?" I asked, finally able to force something out.

Sumia smiled at my difficulty, coming to a stop a few feet from me. "No, I'm not going. He's telling them about his wedding... I..." She blushed hard, crimson filling her cheeks. "I..."

"Is there something I should know?" I asked nervously, beginning to feel the stickiness on my skin. "Or is this... Personal...?" I hesitated, taking a reluctant step forward.

"No... I mean yes! I mean..." Sumia sighed, suddenly becoming fascinated with the floor. True, she did seem to embrace it quite often. Time well spent leads to intimacy, after all...

Then the thought struck my head like a lightning bolt. I felt the warmth leave my face like a receding wave. "D-Do you like him...?" I asked cautiously, nervously touching her arm in the process.

"I didn't do anything! I didn't confess to him or walk in on him or even bake those pies he's so incredibly fond of! I didn't do any of it!" She cried, her face red and her eyes twinkling like stars.

My heart stopped. Like a stone, it dropped to my stomach. Even more color drained my face. I reached out towards her, but held back, as if an invisible wall had just been constructed between us. I was speechless. For the first time in my life, I could find no word to describe my heart break. My world shattered. I felt a warm tear work up in my eye. My chin began to softly tremble.

"I'm... I'm so sorry..." Without another word, Sumia bolted off towards the stairs, causing a glorious thump to echo through the halls. She stumbled past the door, footsteps pounding in my head like a hammer.

A lump formed in my throat. My hand was still outstretched, but no matter what I did, I couldn't pull it back. I couldn't move. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't hear my heart pulsing. I couldn't think. It was like a dead, empty space had engulfed my mind. The tear slowly left my eye, paving a cold and lonely path down my cheek. With a silence worthy of a romance, the tear left my jaw, falling towards the ground. It had been Chrom all along.

...

...

A blur of motion swept across my view as my blade crashed straight into a training dummy. Hack after hack landed a splintering slice through the torso of the manakin. Sweat dripped down my forehead, my turquoise hair sticking to my face with the added moisture. My chest heaved in painful convulsions, my arms burned with pain. I kept thrusting forward, blind rage consuming my focus. Blow after blow struck the figure with enough force to easily decapitate someone. One lethal swing pounded the chest, wood splintering like a popped balloon.

I gritted my teeth, frowning bitterly at the remains of the shattered equipment. I picked up the two halves, tossing them into a pile of twenty and counting. I eagerly set up another, stepping back one pace and taking a strained deep breath. Striking forward again, Ragnell smashed the dummy in the stomach, sending shards flying into the air. I turned swiftly, crying out loud as if all of the pain in the world had unleashed it's wrath on me. I struck forward, smashing into the dummy with all my might, like a maelstrom of rage. Wood crashed to the ground, body parts strewn over the arena floor.

Panting with heavy exhaustion, my hand was unable to sustain the weight of my blade. It fell to the stone floor with a loud clatter. I dropped to my knees, hearing a crack of bone and a splitting pain as I came down hard onto the rocks. Tears welled up in my eyes. My throat tightened, a lump forming at the back of my tongue. Uncontrollable emotion. Hot water dripped down my cheeks; salty as they ran into my mouth, collecting undeserved sweat along the way.

Everything was a fog. I swore that I heard someone, screaming, calling to me from a long, unnamable distance away. Then nothing came. Only the pounding of my own heart, pumping up in my throat. I felt my skin, clammy and grimy from the rage that surged through my body. The air smelled smoky, as if I had set the whole arena to flame. Blood sept up my tongue, and I could taste the metallic flavor coating my throat. I could hear nothing, just a haze so silent that it was the loudest I had ever heard.

Something gripped my arm, yanking me up from the ground. A faint voice screamed at me, telling me to pull myself together. I stared blindly at the figure, rage distorting my point of view. Shadows moved across the arena, slaughtering each other until only one remained... Then a river of red swam past my vision, and I found myself staring straight into intense, dark crimson eyes. I glared for minutes, mesmerized by the burning beauty of the galaxies that swirled in front of my only path of sight.

"Damn it, Ae'dyn! Wake up!" The eyes screamed into my face, choking me with a solid hold. I looked down in a red fog, my vision swimming around the armored body that stood firm, close against mine. "Pull yourself together, damn it!" The voice cried, the pair of fierce fires scorching my heart. I needed pain... And this burning was making me want to cry aloud...

An earth-shattering smash collided with my face, breaking bone and tissue; the staggering force sending me flying onto the stone floor. I slammed into the ground, my heart thumping as if it was going to leap out of my gut, to which it had returned. The haze left me, replaced by a crushing wall of complete pain and excruciating agony. I flung myself around, the world disoriented for what seemed to be an eternity. I finally gained traction, barely stumbling to my feet through tremendous pain.

"What is wrong with you?!" The girl in front of me shouted, staring daggers into my face. I felt a need to unleash more tears, but it paled next to the need to double over in agony. My jaw exploded with a shattering ache. I moved to touch it, but it swelled up with even more excruciation, and I felt warm liquid running down my hand. She had cut me with the blow, and possibly fractured my jaw.

"Oh gods..." I groaned, wincing in disbelief at the pain I was feeling. One should not be able to bear this agony and still live. "You... You broke my jaw..." I muttered agonizingly, staring up at her with hatred.

"You'll live." The girl stated cooly, frowning indignantly.

"Did you just come here to wreck my face, or do you have reason?" I scoffed, wiping the blood from my lip that I had bit during my fall.

"I came here to train!" She stated incredulously, standing up straight. "But you're here smashing all of our training dummies!" The girl exclaimed, gesturing to the pile of scrapped wooden torsos and other fake body parts. "Is there a good reason for that?"

I winced from the pain in my jaw, but looked longingly towards the far end of the arena. I sighed in cold defeat, trying my best to cover up my emotions. But my best wasn't enough. "She's gone." I muttered, staring at the large stone wall, which towered over the floor like a giant staring down on a mouse.

The girl's poise dropped slightly, and she took a step forward. "What?" She asked, softly, yet somewhat annoyed.

I gradually reverted my gaze back to her. "Sumia's gone." I stated, my voice cracking as I fought back the lump in my throat. I quickly turned away, frowning viciously at another training dummy, looking for something to wreck more vengeance on.

Silence followed. Cold, dead silence. It felt as if my heart had frozen over; as if I was standing in the middle of a God-forsaken wasteland. Finally, the girl shifted her feet, uncomfortably at first, and then walking towards me as if in a vain attempt to comfort me. "... So you found out too..." She said quietly, stopping right behind me. I could hear her breath to the left of me.

I sighed silently, without a single flinch of movement. "Yeah..." The words blew out with my breath as I stood immobilized by the daunting realization. So I wasn't the only one grieving...

"I know how you feel." She said slowly, taking a deep breath. "You spend all your free time thinking, dreaming about love. But then something happens. Sometimes unexpected. Then the next minute... Th-They're gone. And there's nothing in your power to s-stop it." Her voice cracked, and I turned to look at her, noticing that she had begun to cry. "And then y-you realize... all a-along... It had been your best friend they h-had their eyes o-on."

"Cordelia..." I whispered, feeling my own depression beginning to return to me like a tidal wave. I fought it back, but the sight of her tears was almost too much. "Please... Don't cry." I stammered, bringing my hand slowly forward to rest on her arm.

Cordelia sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ae'dyn..." She muttered, letting her long crimson hair fall in front of her face as she stared at the ground. "I guess they were just mean to b-be..."

I pulled back, paling as I almost swooned after touching her. It was like static, yet not... She was right. "Damn... I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a plan. I was too hellbent on her..." I started, but was cut off by her feet shuffling as she turned to walk away.

"It's... Okay... It was worth a shot. Naga bless them, and all that... But gods..." She sniffed and looked up, continuing her exit.

I stared after her as she made her way to the doors. The question returned to my mind as I looked down to my hand in awe. What was that shock I had felt? Something I've never experienced before... But I suppose she was right; Chrom and Sumia were just meant to be. And just the same with Emmeryn, there was nothing I could've done to prevent it.

...

...

The sun was setting on the castle, vivid strips of warm colors streaked the sky like a blazing fire. The flaming light cast long shadows over the courtyard. I walked through the empty halls, arms folded inside of my robe sleeves. I had grown past the crying part. The struggle in my mind was the real battle now.

"Ae'dyn, darling!" Maribelle called from across the hallway. I didn't bother to look up or escape this time, instead focusing on the ornate pattern of the carpet I was stepping on. Her footsteps came to a halt once she reached me, and I struggled to lift my face enough to look at her. "Are you sick? You don't look too well."

"No, I'm fine..." I said glumly, trying to avoid any further contact with anyone, lest I cause an incident like with Cordelia a few hours ago.

"No, you are not fine. That obscenely opaque face is not worn by our Master Tactician." She stated indignantly, walking beside me. "Come with me, I'll help you out." She offered, tugging on my robe like an insistent child.

"No thanks, Maribelle. I'm really not sick." I sighed, pulling my robes back and continuing my walk.

"I insist, Ae'dyn! Or I'll see to it that you spend a night out in the stables!" She stomped her foot on the ground, while calling after me.

Knowing her, she actually would make sure it would happen... I groaned in hesitation, finally bringing my leg around to start walking back towards her. "I'm not sick..." I protested, trudging forward.

"Then something is deeply troubling you. Come follow me." She turned around, walking towards the door to the courtyard. I reluctantly followed after her, keeping my arms bound together as tightly as I could. I stepped ahead of her to pull open the door and let her through, to which she smiled and thanked me. I continued to follow her until she stopped at a table with two chairs in broad view of the sun.

"Now tell me, Ae'dyn," Maribelle began, pulling out my chair and walking around lightly to her own side of the table. "What's troubling you?" She asked, staring at me for an answer, and taking a seat opposite me.

I guess there's no way out now... I sighed in defeat, untying my arms and sitting down in the chair. "Sumia's gone." I answered simply, returning her gaze of uncertainty.

"And by 'gone', you mean...?"

"You know what I mean. She's getting married to Chrom." I stated, hoping that she would catch on.

"Oh! Ae'dyn, I had no idea!" Maribelle gasped lightly, taking her arms off of the table and staring towards the brilliant sunset. "How long had this been going on?"

"A few months now... Actually, ever since I first met her. Almost a year now." I replied, running a hand through my hair, which looked almost purple in the fiery lighting. "And I was preparing to tell her, and then..."

"He made his move. So you found out about this before his announcement, I presume?" She asked, waiting for no response before continuing with her train of thought. "That would explain why you were not present at the event."

"Yeah..." I said meekly, bowing my head in shame. If I had just been proactive...

"That won't do! You deserve better than to be treated with a broken heart!" Maribelle stated confidently, her eyes wide with excitement and horror at the same time.

I sighed hastily. "Look Maribelle, I know what you're thinking, but I really don't-"

"No 'buts', Ae'dyn! You deserve better. I will make arrangements-"

"'Arrangements'? Good Lord, girl! I'm not about to be dating anyone anytime soon out of hurt and irrationality." I stood up from my seat in disgust at the thought of sitting at a restaurant with Sully... I quickly dismissed the idea in distaste, and pushed my chair in towards the table once again. "Thank you for your time, but I need to get going. Chrom's expecting me to attend the engagement feast tonight. However bittersweet it will be." I turned on one foot, and immediately left the courtyard through the double doors, leaving Maribelle sitting alone at the sunset-lit table.

...

...

I walked once again through the hollow halls, my footsteps making echoes multiple times louder than in reality. I shook my head in dismissal of any ideas of dating. I needed to keep my head clear for the sake of everyone here.

I reached the doors to the dining hall, and tugged the right side open. Noise wafted out as if the pressure had been building for quite some time. I quietly slid inside the door, merging into the obnoxious crowd of people, the door closing right behind me. A long table, about thirty seats long, had been decorated with multiple seasonal ornaments; anything from apples to cinnamon sticks and holiday wreaths lay piled neatly along the center of the table. Dishes and silverware marked the places of where people would be sitting, each plate proudly wearing a nicely written name card.

I weaved my way through the mass of people, working my way towards where I suspected Chrom would be. I stepped around a large man with a long white beard, and faced towards the kitchen. He wasn't there. I turned around to retrace my steps-

"Ae'dyn!" I heard my name being called, and simultaneously felt a firm hand on my shoulder. I turned towards the voice, looking straight across at Chrom. "I've been looking for you." He added, smiling as if pleased that the night was going as planned. I scowled at him for making such an assumption.

"As have I." I replied, nodding back towards him.

"I'm not sure if you'd be alright with this, but I'd like for you to present a speech just before Lissa gives the toast."

I almost choked on my tongue when I heard "Lissa" and "toast" in the same sentence. "Uh... I'm sorry, what?" I asked incredulously, looking at him in disbelief.

"All you have to do is just stand up and tell everyone a bit about how you know Sumia and I, and how you feel about us. You know." He continued, patting me on the shoulder with a strong hand.

I paled, staring at Chrom as if he was a ghost. "Chrom, I-I don't think I can..." I protested, gritting my teeth with such a thought.

"Oh, it won't be that bad! It's just the Shepherds and a few other good friends of mine. You'll be fine, I promise." The exalt grinned smugly, elbowing me in the ribs. "So what do you say?"

"I..." I hesitated, not wanting to reject him, but also not wanting to be put in such a situation. Hastily, I set upon a decision with a burst of adrenaline. "I suppose." I found myself saying before I had time to think. Crap. What do I do now...? I gritted my teeth at my own words.

"That's good to hear. I knew I could count on you! Thank you, Ae'dyn." Chrom nodded happily, slapping me on the back before walking off to join some jolly Ylissean in conversation.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy, Chrom." I muttered beneath my breath, clenching my fist in annoyance at myself. Great, now with no preparation of any kind. I'll have to improvise like never before. Way to go, Ae'dyn. Way to go... Thanks, Chrom. That was great.

...

...

"Attention, friends and family, Shepherds and Ylisseans!" Chrom's voice boomed through the hall, silencing all forgoing conversations. "The time for the feast has begun. If everyone could please find their names and sit at their appointed seats, then we can get started. Thank you all for coming here tonight, and I hope you all enjoy yourselves." Ended strong. I shook my head in frustration. Chrom was always the better one at improvisation...

I turned towards the table, walking past seats to determine where it was that I was supposed to be. I found my name at the north end of the table, towards the head, where Chrom would sit, no doubt. Curiosity piqued, I began to glance at other name cards around me. Chrom was at the head. To his right was to be Sumia; at his left was Frederick. Next to Sumia was Cordelia, while Lissa was to sit next to Frederick. I had been placed between Stahl and Cordelia, and going on south of Stahl was Gaius, Maribelle, and Vaike (Oh, I felt bad for Maribelle...). On the opposite side from me was Lon'qu, and south of him was to be Miriel, Sully and Kellam. With that in mind, I pulled out my chair and took a seat where I was supposed to.

Seeing as I was the only one seated at my end of the table, I reached into my robe and pulled out my strategy book. Beginning to read, I began to tune everything else out as I became engrossed in the words.

The silence was interrupted by Vaike's rumbling laughter. "Ho ho! I get to sit next to Mr. Tactician himself!" Wait, I don't remember that... I thought he was sitting on the other side of Maribelle... My thoughts were confirmed as Gaius interrupted Vaike's chortling.

"Listen, Ham, you're over there, not here next to Bubbles! How many time must I tell you?" He corrected the muscular warrior who rarely donned a shirt.

The spiky haired man grunted in disapproval. "I guess you're right..." He scoffed under his breath and he made his way to his own seat.

"You're welcome, Bubbles." Gaius winked slyly as he walked by, punching me lightly on the back as he passed. I smiled in return, almost gasping in relief.

"Oh, this looks so beautiful, doesn't it, Cordelia?" My smile faded as her voice called out from the crowd. So much for avoiding it... I watched as Sumia looked out over the table, marveling at the ornamental decorations. Cordelia seemed utterly distracted, as she kept scanning the crowds and turning her head as if she was watching someone's every move. "Oh, look at that candlestick, Cordelia!" Sumia gasped, pointing excitedly at a large candle at the center of the table, engraved neatly with intricate designs.

Cordelia ignored her shouts, instead focusing on the far away person... Sumia sighed in disappointment, realizing there was nothing that could cheer her friend up. She reluctantly took her seat, pulling Cordelia away to her own as well. Cordelia sat down in the seat beside me, staring intently at the crowd without break.

"Hey, Lissa! You look lovely this evening!" Sumia called out to the blonde princess, who immediately took her seat to begin conversing with her brother's new fiancée.

"Thank you! You do too, Sumia! So how's it going?" Lissa's voice carried off as they started their own dialogue. I sighed as boredom finally kicked in as high as ever. The words of my book scrambled before my eyes, as if nothing I read could ever make sense again. I closed the old tome, tucking it away back into my dark indigo Tactician's cloak.

"Man, I am starving!" Stahl's unmistakable voice broke out right next to me, and I looked up to see him pull back his chair and eagerly sit in place. He certainly brought the life to this end of the table. "No food yet..." He muttered quietly, eyes roaming the table in vain expectancy. "So, Ae'dyn, how was your day?" He asked excitedly, turning to face me with a smile.

"Don't even ask me. Words can't describe my hate for this day." I stated dryly, glaring at my plate. Stahl was taken aback my this response, and stammered for a response. I felt a nudge at my ribs, and turned to see Cordelia give me a knowing glance over her shoulder. She nodded in agreement.

"Surely it couldn't have been that bad?" Stahl stammered, frowning indignantly.

"It was. And still is." I added solemnly, sighing dejectedly into my hands. If only I had known. If only I had not spent my emotion and my entire heart on her, this wouldn't be happening. Today wouldn't be like it was. And I might have been feeling better as well...

I looked up to see everybody seated at the long, extensive table. Shepherds were all seated closer to Chrom, with nobles and fellow knights taking up the end opposite the Exalt. Maids filed out of the kitchen, carrying multiple dishes among them. Wide varieties of meats, vegetables and starches were laid appropriately clustered along the center of the table. Stahl's eyes grew wider with each dish that was set down in front of him.

The tension grew as with the silence, and everyone awaited the words of the Exalt. Chrom stood as soon as the maids left for the kitchen again. "My fellow Shepherds, my friends. The time has come to eat. Naga, bless this food and use it to our nourishment to do your will. Amen." A second of tense pause followed, and Stahl scooted forward in his seat with anticipation. Chrom opened his eyes and glanced around the table. Seeing Stahl, he smiled amusedly before finishing. "Let's eat!"

The hum of conversation began again, chairs and silverware scraping as people moved for the lingering food. I closed my eyes and tried to drown out the noise, but to no avail. I reluctantly looked around for something that caught my eye, but my gaze only caught on the mountain that lay piled on Stahl's plate. He sat back down from reaching for the dishes, and eagerly began poking his fork into a mound of turkey meat. "Thank God!" He grinned before shoving in a hasty mouthful.

I gazed across the table to see Lon'qu sitting as still as a statue, staring at his plate in horrified shock. His face was beet red. My thoughts swam for seconds, as I tried to piece it all together. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. He was stuck between Lissa and Miriel. For once this evening, I couldn't help but smile as the poor man simply sat there, mortified at his terrible misfortune.

"Hey, Lon'qu! Are you going to eat?" Lissa jumped up, looking at him with big sparkling eyes.

"I-I'll think about it..." The gynophobic man replied, gritting his teeth.

"Oh come on! You need to eat! Now get some food or give me your-"

"I'm quite capable of doing so myself, thank you." Lon'qu replied sternly, giving Lissa a warning glare from the corner of his eye.

"Yeowch! Just trying to help..." She muttered in disgust, scooting further towards Frederick. To his own reluctance, Lon'qu stood up and gradually began to fill his plate.

I stared at the warm food, contemplating whether or not to eat, or watch others enjoy themselves. I looked over to Cordelia, who sat calmly, twirling her fork around in the middle of her mashed potatoes. I might as well... I sighed, grabbing my plate and standing up slowly. I scooped up some mashed potatoes, chicken and steamed vegetables, then quickly sat back down.

"So..." Stahl mumbled through a mouthful of food, swallowed hard, then began again. "So, how was your training in the arena earlier?" He asked, clearly content with the food before him. I remembered running into him as I had stormed my way down to the arena earlier... Had I told him I was getting in some practice? I suppose I had...

"Uh..." I thought for a second, contemplating my answer. I heard a cough from beside me, and I looked over to see Cordelia looking at me through the corner of her eye, through a crimson fringe of hair. I turned back to Stahl quickly. "It went well, I suppose." I answered quickly, immediately returning my attention to my plate.

A jarring pain erupted in my ribs, and I flinched, looking over towards the source. Cordelia shook her head in dismay, looking down in disbelief at her untouched potatoes. "Eavesdropper..." I muttered, holding my side as I returned to my food, picking up a spoonful of peas.

The very instant I lifted the spoon up towards my mouth, Cordelia elbowed me again, forcing me to let it all fly. I turned in horrified shock to see the peas whizz through the air, pelting Maribelle in the face. I quickly shot my head around to Stahl, who blinked in amazement. Vaike let out a hysterical snort, cackling like a madman. Maribelle gasped aloud, mouth hanging wide open, glaring icy daggers into Vaike as he laughed uncontrollably. "You gutter-born pig!" She shrieked, pulling out her parasol with one swift motion. Completely clueless as to what misfortune was about to befall him, Vaike cackled on and on. A pink blur swept across the table, colliding firmly with the man's jaw, toppling his chair, sending him crumpling to the ground in a loud thump that shook the table. With one last euphoric snort, he was struck completely still.

Silence ensued as everyone stared at the missing chair, utterly oblivious as to what just happened. Maribelle slyly snuck her parasol back under the table, and nudged Gaius promptly. Gaius coughed as if he had choked on his fork, multiple times, hacking his way at the silence. Soon enough, conversations erupted again, and clattering of silverware recommenced. I turned my head to look at Cordelia, gritting my teeth.

"Oops." She shrugged carelessly, fighting back a smile as she finally shoved a bit into her mouth and began to chew.

I blinked in disbelief at what just happened, and how the heck I got away with it... Turning back to my plate, I began to gently scoop up more vegetables and continued to eat.

...

...

Lissa stood up from the table, raising her glass into the air above her head. "May I have everybody's attention, please?!" She cried, but only a few heard her. She glanced in annoyance at Chrom, who stifled a laugh, and began to hit his glass with his spoon. Once the noise died down, Lissa cleared her throat. "Well then. I'm sure you are all quite aware of the reason why you're here." She looked around at her audience, smiling briefly as she fought back the impending nervousness. "Chrom is my big brother, as most of you know, so I have a few things to say to you all before we move on with the night."

"Easy, Milady, take deep breaths." Frederick muttered from beside her. He gave her a deadpan expression, but his confidence made her smile less nervously.

"Right then. Being the little sister of a hero of the land, I'm often living in Chrom's shadow. Yet I keep reminding myself that I had a part in his confidence to lead us to victory." She folded her hands together and began tapping her foot lightly on the wooden floor. "He put up with me through all the years, kicking and screaming through my constant worry for his safety." A chorus of chuckles echoed across the table. "But he inspired me to do the best I could at being who I am. He helped me become the princess I am today. I wouldn't be standing here if not for him. My pretty little head would have been skewered by some risen if not for my brother." A few grunts sounded off, accompanied by a nervous chuckle by Gaius, and followed by a symphony of sympathetic groans from all the girls. "And I've watched him grow through the years, with younger, more critical eyes. I've watched how he has changed from a bossy nuisance to a caring, humble man. And now I've seen him passionately win the heart of one of the best young ladies I've ever known."

She paused and glanced at Sumia, who was blushing a hard crimson. Chrom smiled and held her hand for consolation. "Have I ever mentioned how perfect you two look together?" She asked slyly. A whoop of agreement sounded off from various points of the table, notably Gaius, who let off a shrill whistle as well. Chrom leaned in towards Sumia, who hesitantly followed towards him, closing in on-

I turned away, cold shards of ice piercing my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes. Resentment hit my stomach. After seconds of applause, I looked up to see them separated, sitting back comfortably, cheeks aglow. I let out a deep sigh, glaring at Chrom's look of complete satisfaction.

Lissa raised her glass again. "I'd like to propose a toast; to my brother and the new princess of his life. Long live the exalt and his fiancée!" She laughed, struggling to keep from falling over, as if she never thought she'd say the words.

I refused to pick up my glass, instead glaring at the flickering candle in the middle of the table. Everybody around me took a drink from their cider, but I resisted the temptation, not willing to abide by this cruelty. Stahl nudged me. I turned to look at him reluctantly, ready to fall asleep on Cordelia's shoulder once more.

"You're up." Stahl muttered towards me, patting me on the back. I froze, remembering my speech. Panic filled my heart, and it began to beat nervously. How could I say something good about this situation?

I rose to my feet, staring at the one man who wrecked my life. "Chrom," I began steadily, gazing straight into his eyes. "I never got to thank you for helping me adjust to life in this world. And to be honest, I never understood why you did what you did. I can only be grateful, yet I can only be so thankful." I paused and took a deep breath, fighting back the cold tears. "And Chrom, I never got to express my feelings to you." I stopped, turning my gaze to Sumia, who paled slightly. "I never got to express my true feelings for her. But now I know. She was meant to be with you all along." Despite my efforts, the tears began to roll down my cheeks. I licked my lips before continuing. "I won't be cold. I won't be bitter. I don't have the words to describe the conflict in my heart right now. But all I have is my words that I speak from the only sane corner of my heart. Chrom... Take care of her. Make her happy, since I didn't have the time to do so myself. I'm counting on you to be her source of happiness." I bit my lip as my chin began to quiver. "A t-toast... To the h-happiest p-people on earth." I raised my cup, taking a weary sip before slumping down to my seat again.

Gasps circled around me, and a few empathetic sobs broke out from hopeless girls. Frederick gave his speech, which was long and boring, to which detail I don't have the courage nor stamina to explain. When he was finally finished, Chrom ordered the feasting ended, and people began to converse once more, as multiple maids cleaned up the dishes. I immediately left the table, making a beeline for the balcony. Various shouts of my name called after me, but I didn't bother to stop. I burst through the door, quickly slamming it behind me as I stepped through to the open air. I gasped for breath, but nothing seemed to help much. Tears flooded my eyes, my vision a twisted and distorted haze of darkness. I could tell that the moon was out, but beyond that, everything was pitch black.

Through my sobs, I could hear the rustle of leaves from the forest below, soft wind blowing through the dark night air. A hinge groaned from behind me, but I didn't bother to look. I took a shaky deep breath, trying to focus on reality, though the fog in my thoughts, feelings, and sight clouded any effort.

"I thought I'd find you here." A soft feminine voice whispered from right behind me. It carried deep emotion, almost the same internal cry that I was feeling right now. She leaned on the railing next to me, gazing out across the forest. Soft sniffles muttered into my ear, and through the haze of reality, I finally realized who it was. "... I-It's not fair!" She cried, hiding under a dark veil of crimson hair. Tears dripped into the dark abyss below us.

Minutes passed as we both continued to grieve. Then, finally, she spoke up again. "I thought I would be mad at you." She paused, shaking from the crushing amount of emotional drama. "For not coming up with something. But my heart says otherwise..." She whispered, looking up towards me.

"Some things just c-cannot be changed." I muttered slowly, turning to face her in the dim moonlight. Her eyes sparkled with the tears, reflecting the moon like skies of beautiful stars. She began to weep again, her chest heaving as she breathed hard for air. "Don't cry anymore, Cordelia. I need you to be strong." I murmured, taking a step towards her through the haze of my existence.

She looked up at me slowly. Worry, confusion, guilt, fear, hate, love... It all reflected through her starry dark eyes. "Then be my strength for me..." She muttered, falling forward onto my chest, sobbing into my shirt. I held my breath for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. Eventually, I relaxed, calming my emotions enough to hug her into a tight, yet careful embrace.

I whispered into her ear through the wisps of long red hair. "I won't be your strength, but I can be your shield." I paused to think through my words. "And I promise, as long as you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be here for you." I gritted my teeth at the last part, resting my chin on the top of her head.

"Th-Thank you..." She cried softly, her tears dousing my chest. I felt her heaving as she gasped for air between sobs, gripping firmly onto me as if she feared I would vanish if she let go. I relaxed a bit as well, holding her in my arms as the moonlight shone brightly through the cold night sky.

...

...

A/N: Extra-long chapter after an extra-long hiatus. I apologize about this. Life has definitely taken a turn the past year, and at this moment, I cannot ensure the consistency of this fanfic. However, I will try my best to continue with it.

Thank you for understanding.

Shadow


	12. Chapter 12 - Closer Than Ever Before

-Chapter Twelve-

Closer

I awoke the next morning, the bright sky blurring my distorted vision. I blinked the tears from my eyes, moaning as I rolled over onto my side, only to find my back drenched in dew. Pulling myself to sit up straight, I took in the landscape around me. I was outside of a forest, in the shade of an oak tree in the middle of a large meadow.

How in Naga's name did I get here...?

I recalled last night, foolishly crying for the sake of false love. In the process of thinking this, a headache tore through my brain, sending my vision into more distortion. What else did I do last night...? I remember the balcony, with Cordelia... Did I get myself drunk? God, I had promised myself I would never do so... But that can't be, because I don't feel nauseous or queasy, just vaguely fatigued... Maybe I just drank more than I'm used to... Or did I? I only recall taking one sip of the seasonal cider at dinner.

I rubbed my head, closing my eyes as I tried to rethink the process. Then a light, soft moan made my heart jump. I looked beside me to see Cordelia, asleep on my lap, her hair draping over my legs. I froze in horror. Oh God... What did I do last night? In panic, I rapidly began to search my memory for anything else leading to this...

"Ae'dyn..." She muttered, breathing softly and fluttering her eyes open.

I looked down at her uncomfortably, gritting my teeth as I felt an embarrassed blush settle in on my cheeks.

"Wild night, huh?" She asked, and I paled instantly. What in Naga's name did you do, Ae'dyn?! I stared in utter shock at the girl resting on my body. I shivered in the breeze, realizing that my cloak was draped over her shoulders.

"D-Did we... Do... anything last night?" I asked incredulously, watching as she sat up and stretched her arms above her head.

"You don't remember?" She asked, frowning in question. I nodded my head hesitantly, hoping that this was all just a joke.

"I can't say that I do. Oh God... Did we... DO anything?" I asked again, this time with more emphasis on my clear disbelief at my predicament.

"'Do anything'? Of course!" She smiled creepily, leaning forward to rest her head on my shoulder. I shied away at first, thinking that she was about to demonstrate, but her head fell softly onto my shoulder as she scooted up next to me. "Hold me, Ae'dyn, I'm c-cold..." She shivered into my neck. I began breathing faster, my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. Cold sweat began to bead on my forehead.

"Cordelia... I don't know about this..." I sighed uncomfortably. "I didn't have any control... How did we get there so fast? And why would I even want to do that?"

"Oh come on! You were the one that suggested it." She replied smugly, looking up at me with a hint of satisfaction. "And besides, you were wonderful."

"Uh... Cordelia, I'm really not comfortable with this!" I stated, my muscles locking up as I was trapped in this position.

"Oh, you think too much." She sighed dejectedly, then brought herself closer to my body. "I love you." She said with a genuine tone, that I would never mistake for a joke. At this point I knew it was sincere. But there was no going back...

A deep, inhuman snarl broke out from right beside me, and I turned to see the rotted, hollow face of a risen staring into my face. Cordelia screamed as she reached for her lance in one quick motion. I stood to my feet, grabbing for my sword. But my hand met air. I looked down in shock, seeing no blade in the sheath. I searched the ground, rapidly scanning for any sign of it.

The risen that attacked Cordelia thrust its spear towards her, but she forced the tip into the ground with her own lance, turning in one fluid motion to kick the undead in the face. She advanced again, turning to send her weapon into the head of the creature. Without pause, she turned and grabbed the spear in the ground, heaving it up over her shoulder and hurling it straight between the eyes of another risen over twenty meters away.

Waves flooded out from the forest, corpses of rotting flesh running towards us. "Cordelia, we have to go! We can't fight off this many of them!" I cried, unable to find my sword. With any luck, I might have left it at the castle last night.

"No! I'm not jeopardizing the lives of innocent townspeople by letting these monsters roam the lands!" She called over her shoulder, readying her lance as she sprinted full speed towards the army of undead warriors.

"No! Get back here, Cordelia! NOW!" I yelled after her, but no response came. She couldn't fight the hoards off alone. I breathed heavily, gritting my teeth as I frantically looked for a weapon. My eyes caught a hefty broad stick about the size of Ragnell. I ran forward to pick it up, dashing after Cordelia. "Wait!" I cried in vain, watching as the risen continued to pour from the woods.

Cordelia leapt off a rock, using the momentum to send her lance into an undead mercenary's chest. Pulling it out in one swift motion, she turned to slice open the head of the next, and spun around to stab another through the stomach.

I dashed as fast as I could, gaining on the battle scene erupting before my very eyes. My heart beat fast, an anxious feeling pounding it's way into my gut. I breathed harder, heaving under the stress of possible death. I lunged forward, finally able to crack the stick over a risen's head, sending it toppling down into a deep ravine. I turned to smash another's skull into its shoulder, sending rotten spews of flesh flying towards me. I turned towards the rest, now circled around Cordelia, piling up to attack her from all angles.

I ran forward, breath pounding my chest, sweat pouring down my face. A sudden pang hit my chest, and I looked down to see a rotten arrow protruding from my torso. I grimaced at the pain, feeling the warm flow of blood on my skin. I pressed on, determined to not see the demise of Cordelia. Another arrow hit my stomach, sending me to my knees in shock. The pain was tremendous, splinters of reality crushing into my brain as I fought for consciousness. Another whizz, another thud and the warm spew of blood hit my face. The third arrow hit my shoulder, and I felt the crack as it struck my shoulder blade from the inside. Reality warped, my vision swam as black began to engulf me.

A cry of agony echoed through the silence, and I shot up to see Cordelia, a hilt at her stomach, the edge of the blade thrusting out from her chest in a spray of red. "NO!" I shrieked, lunging forward to pull myself towards her. She stared at the sword embedded in her abdomen, a silent cry escaping from her mouth. The sword slid back out, coated in crimson, as Cordelia fell to the ground with a horrible thump. I pulled myself forward, grief filling my chest as I heaved through the pain over my entire body.

"Give it up, human. She's dead." A wicked voice whispered in my ear. "You think you're a match for us? We've evolved. We aren't what you knew." The voice paused as a snarl filled its throat. A sharp, agonizing pain ripped up my spine as metal scraped against bone. A sword plunged out through my neck, and I stared subconsciously at the vicious red that gleamed from the blade. "And we're coming for you. Be ready... Be ready..."

Be ready...

Be... Ready...

...

...

I shot up in bed, gasping for air as I felt my chest for any sign of life. I clutched at my body, sweat pouring down my face, drenching my entire back. My heart pounded faster and faster, working its way up my throat as it continued to throb violently.

It was just a dream...

It was a dream...

My door burst open with a slam, and Chrom stood, paled as he stared straight at me. "Ae'dyn! Are you okay?!" He cried, running to my bedside, his eyes wide in terror.

"Yeah... Yeah, I-I think so..." I replied hesitantly, trying to catch my breath. I stared around my room, seeing no one else but Chrom and I. "Where's Cordelia?" I asked, speaking the first thing on my mind.

"She's in the stables this morning." He answered simply, puzzled as to why I would ask such a question.

I breathed hard, trying to regain my composure. "I-I had a vision, Chrom." I stated, glancing around nervously, as if the images still haunted my mind.

"A vision? Of what?" Chrom asked, pulling up a seat next to my pillow to look at me.

"The risen." I said hesitantly. At these words, he froze, looking at me uncertainly. "Chrom, they're coming for us. We need to prepare." I added, staring into his eyes as he glanced around nervously.

"Are you certain?" He asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"It felt so real. They came to us; attacked and killed us. The last one told me they were coming for us all. Believe me when I tell you that we've got to move NOW." I said as frighteningly as I could, staring at the Exalt for a sign of trust.

After a few minutes of silence, Chrom nodded his head dejectedly. "I see..." He sighed. "Well then, there's nothing else to discuss." He stood abruptly from his seat, walking towards the door. "Naga help us all..." He paused before exiting the room, deep in contemplation.

I sighed, closing my eyes, wishing that it was all a false message. But the way that the dream felt, I knew it wasn't fake. What power awaited us... what forces lie ahead... we had to take action. The fate of Ylisse now rested in our hands. "Naga help us all..." I repeated sincerely, staring blindly at the dreary ceiling above me. THIS was life or death.

...

...

As soon as I had prepared myself for the laborious day, I left my room, walking down the carpeted hallway towards the stairs. Turning into the kitchen, the smells of various herbs filled my senses. The problem with this room was that the sun rose directly into the eating area... When I adjusted to the light, I looked around the tables in search of anyone worth sitting by. Stahl sat at a table with Lon'qu and Gaius, eating away at a plate full of eggs and bacon, a bowl of fruit and yogurt on the side. The latter two sat quietly, staring groggily at their empty plates, listening to the sounds of conversation throughout the hall.

Chrom and Sumia sat together at a secluded table in the far corner. My heart jumped as I set eyes on her once more, then immediately burned with hatred once my previous feelings settled in. I quickly turned around to dodge the emotional build up as much as possible.

Maribelle sat with Lissa, Miriel and Olivia at a table on the left side of the room, chatting about various feminine things. I shook my head and glanced over to the next table, which was luckily empty. I began to walk towards it, noticing that no one else had claimed it. Then my eye caught something... or rather, someone.

I gazed through the light of the early morning to see a figure with their head down on the table in front of them. Needless to say, they didn't look to be in the best spirits. I hesitated, before turning and slowly approaching the light-flooded figure's table. I walked to the other side, taking a seat across from her. Then I recognized the crimson hair... "Are you okay, Cordelia?" I asked, frowning in concern when she didn't move.

She sighed heavily, speaking with a low mutter. "Have you ever felt so bad about something that you just wanted to kill yourself?" She whimpered, obviously in pain. At this point, I could tell it was out of the ordinary. Especially for her.

"Yeah, I suppose I may have been there. ...Maybe not that extreme, but yes." I replied, looking next to her at a cup of steaming tea, with almost 5 tea bags steeping inside. I could tell by the tags that they were for mainly medicinal purpose. "Wait... You..."

"It was only me, the balcony, and the night air... I could have done it." She paused to take a sniff of air beneath her hair. "I should have done it..." She added simply, as if the matter was no big deal.

"No! God, no! Don't ever say that again, Cordelia!" I widened my eyes in disbelief. Someone so confident and amazing as her? The thought was so foreign, I felt like I was talking to a different person entirely. "We need you here. I think you need to know that."

"Yeah well... The world says otherwise..." She murmured dejectedly, taking a deep breath.

"No it does not. Stop this right now, please." I said sternly, leaning towards her over the table. A maid lay two plates of food next to us, filled with eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. I glanced at it then turned back to Cordelia. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't. I was listening to my instinct. And I should have followed it..." She said lowly again, not taking her eyes off of the ground beneath the table.

"No. Don't. Don't ever think like that again." I said forcefully, frowning at her in shock.

"I'm not even sure that was me that was doing the thinking..." She continued, shifting uncomfortably.

I dropped my shoulders and widened my eyes with the sudden realization. "How many shots?" I asked, leaning forward drearily.

"Ten... Fifteen... I don't know..." She cringed from the pain she was obviously feeling. "It hurts... Feels like a crushing weight on my skull. I want it to end..." She moaned and rolled slightly, taking another deep breath.

"God, Cordelia... If you ever need to talk, please let me know. There are some issues that need to be taken care of." I stated seriously, pulling my plate closer and examining it's contents.

"No thanks..." She mumbled, sighing dismally as she lifted her head to stir her tea. There were clear dark circles underneath her eyes, and her eyelids were only partly open. She looked like hell.

"I'm serious. Getting hung over like you are now is not going to help you." I said in disbelief, lifting the fork up to my mouth and taking a bite of eggs.

"It just might." She said through clenched teeth, sitting up somewhat straight. She sighed again, rubbing her nose and sniffing while staring at her hands in her lap. I winced as Chrom and Sumia walked by, holding hands as they retreated towards upstairs. A moment of silence fell upon our table as she stared after them with hatred.

Cordelia stood suddenly, turning and storming outside, throwing down her tea cup as she left. The hot drink splattered all over the floor, shards of porcelain exploding across the stone ground.

Conversations died down as everybody in the room tilted their heads to look at the sudden change in volume. I sighed and rubbed my forehead as I watched the tea drip from the table in a dying stream.

"Is that more food for me then?" Stahl muttered excitedly, looking up at me for an answer. I gazed after the knight who walked briskly for the front door. I nodded to Stahl and ran after her.

"Cordelia, wait." I called out once I caught up with her. She stopped reluctantly, glaring up at me through the tears that flooded her eyes. Her chin trembled as her nose became red with the outburst. I took a breath and began to speak slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"I am too." She stated coldly, a heavy quake in her voice.

"No, I'm sorry for what you're going through. If you should be blaming anyone, it should be me, not you." I hesitated when she frowned at me in disapproval. "I failed to create a plan to help you. And before that, I failed to win Sumia. Even saving her life twice wasn't enough to break her love for..." I paused and looked to the ground, careful not to say too much. "...him."

The silence followed only with gentle sobs coming from Cordelia, but she broke it with three words. "No, Ae'dyn. No." She turned and sprinted for the tower, head in her hands as she wept.

"Hey wait! Cordelia!" I cried desperately, reaching out towards her as if I could force her to come back to me. I sighed and gritted my teeth, glancing at the bright rising sun. A flap of wings, and a Pegasus took off from the top of the tower, gliding through the air at hasty speed. God, that girl... Damn this situation. I shook my head in dismay, staring dismally at the grass beneath my feet.

...

...

The risen attack was drawing near. With each passing second, valuable time was being wasted on recovery instead of preparing a necessary defense. I walked through the cold morning air, eyes glued to the path beneath my feet. Not caring where I was going, I had decided to take a walk to rid my mind of the events of my recent past. So much drama spent, wasted on too much emotion. I shook my head at rethinking this, and turned my attention back to strategizing.

Station the infantry at the gates... The Pegasus knights at the towers... The Calvary can flank the-

I paused and looked up at the fluttering leaves around me. No, that wouldn't work... Restart the battle.

Cavalry take the eastern and western gates; have infantry take the northern, and provide backup for the lower two positions... Pegasus knights take the towers, archers scan for approaching aerial threats. Mages take the rear by the castle wall, line the streets with heavy infantry; Heroes, Generals, Knights take the forward road, reinforce the frontal defense in case of a percussive wave...

A twig snapped unexpectedly right as I lifted my foot from the ground. I knew it wasn't me. I looked up cautiously, scanning the area for any other sign. No footsteps, no sound... I turned back towards where I was headed, still keeping a careful ear on my surroundings.

It cracked again.

I whirled around, gazing into the trees for any movement. A flinch in the shadows slighted the light coming from the morning sun. Bolting off towards the fleeing figure, I unsheathed my sword, leaping up the bank towards the trees. Wind flew in my face like stinging needles. The treeline began to fade as I closed on the figure's progress. Right on top of him, I leapt for the strike...

A flash of smoke blinded me momentarily, and I realized I was falling through empty air, staring at a frozen river bed hundreds of feet below me. My heart jumped into my throat, and I tried for everything I had to breathe for air, but nothing came. Fear struck my heart like a gong, and I cried out into the empty wind for help that could never be heard. Wind beat against my head, shoving my entire body upwards while gravity slammed me down towards the ground.

A sharp flap of wind broke the ominous silence. I looked wearily to my right, fighting for consciousness as the ground drew ever nearer. Through the distorted haze, a Pegasus streaked down from the skies, the rider reaching out desperately in an attempt to catch something.

I felt a sharp tug as my velocity reversed, and I realized the reach was for me. My heart leapt back down my throat and into my stomach as the Pegasus pulled into a steep climb until leveling out above the forest below.

I gasped for air, unable to hear anything but the ringing in my head and the whirr of empty wind. I heaved my body as I fought to stay awake, gripping onto the rider for dear life. Whoever they were, they had saved my life.

Hours seemed to pass before the fuzz in my head finally subsided. I looked around dazedly, seeing the ground far below, and the white wings of a beautiful Pegasus. I turned my head slowly. A red leather saddle lay on the horse's back. The rider wore red tights, a red skirt, and battle-worn armor that had a familiar pattern.

Crimson hair flowed briskly onto my face. I blinked in amazement as I realized who it was. "C-Cordelia! What are you doing here?" I asked in shock, looking towards the girl's face as she tugged on the reigns to bank the Pegasus right, heading back towards Ylisstol.

"I'm saving your life." She replied crisply, not taking her eyes from the invisible flight path in front of her.

I blinked again, trying to make sure I wasn't dreaming. "And thank you. I owe you a debt that can never be repaid..." I said indignantly, looking over her shoulder at the capital beyond.

"You don't owe me anything. We're on the same team." She stated cooly, looking over her shoulder to stare at me from the corner of her eye.

"But I thought you didn't want anything to do with this..." I responded, confused as to why she was acting so valiant suddenly.

"Ae'dyn, I'm sorry. I've been overreacting, and I'm sorry." She pulled the reigns in, and the Pegasus glided in for a landing at the top of the castle's north tower. A clip of hooves against the cold stone ground signified a safe return.

"No need to apologize, just..." I started, and hesitated at the connection to my mind. I reached out and grabbed her arm, staring intently into her gorgeous eyes. "Thank you." I said seriously, feeling a deep blush settle in as I thought of how close I was holding her. She squirmed at first, then seemed to relax, returning the stare. I sighed in relief, but as I shook my head, she began to march off. "Where are you going?" I asked, confused again.

"Out of here." She stated simply, walking with a bit of an odd huffy attitude. She reached the stairs and began running down quickly.

I sighed in defeat, staring at the ground in dismay yet again. There has to be a way for us to reforge our friendship... I would never even dream of having ANY romantic relations with her, but she sure did make a good friend... But how much would it take to work back to that area of our lives? How long would it take to mend the deep hurt in our hearts?

A sudden burst of pain tore through my forehead. I cringed in agony, doubling over as the ache spread across my entire body. Visions of risen... Blood pooled at my feet, corpses littered the ground. Risen slaughtered men and women ruthlessly, inexorably, bloodily, the images filled my mind. I cried out loud as I fell to my knees, screaming as a horrible scene of dead Shepherds flashed in front of my eyes. I winced in pain as the headache finally subsided, and I gasped for breath as I lay sprawled on the stone floor. They were coming. The risen were getting closer...

...

...


	13. Chapter 13 - The First Wave

Chapter 13 - The First Wave

**EDIT: It seems I forgot one important detail! Ae'dyn's name has now been changed to Jensen because I simply realized how impractical "Ae'dyn" is to type out. Also, I was originally going to include backstory to the origin of his name, but since I deleted 12,000 words of an alternate story arc, I'm not going to explain it anymore. Therefore, I'd rather keep his name something simple and something that's a bit more coherent and easier to pronounce, if that makes even an ounce of sense. I hope you understand, and I do apologize for the inconvenience. **

**However, the other option is to keep Ae'dyn as his name if I get enough people telling me I should switch it back. As for me, I'd rather keep it as Jensen. But I'm leaving it up to you, the reviewers. I'm sorry if this is all messing with your minds, but I'd just prefer a simple name over something Say'ri and Lon'qu inspired. I made hasty decisions back in March of '14... Thanks for understanding!**

...

**A/N: So. It's been a while, friends. I've been incredibly busy with university stuff, and have scarcely touched anything of my own voluntary creation in a very long time. I do apologize for this. I also want to thank CelesteSteph for bringing this problem of abscence to my attention. I can't promise when the next chapter of this story or "Lights in the Darkness" will go up, but I can promise you that I do have at least some material moving in the forward direction covered, and hope to post it soon.**

**I really do hate leaving you with such a lack of story at the moment, but I'll try to get things to a point where I feel comfortable with uploading perhaps a bit more frequently than I have been. Regardless, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.**

**But for now, the story! As always, have a fantabulous day.**

**\- Shadow**

...

I awoke the next morning, tears flowing readily from my eyes. And for no apparent reason, my pillow was also soaked like a sponge. I grimaced at the unpleasant feeling of liquid on my cheek. I opened my eyes, but no light came. Confused, I tried blinking away at the tears, but nothing changed. Maybe it was midnight...?

I wiped the hair off of my forehead, proceeding to prop myself up on my left elbow. Gazing around the room, I found that I could see at last. But it was so dark that it must still be midnight with no moon. I frowned, swinging my legs out from under my sheets to hang over the edge of the bed. I stood to my feet, taking a second to stretch before walking wearily towards the window.

I caught a faint glimpse of glowing yellow from the corner of my eye. Instinctively, I reached for my sword, twisting around into battle position. My hand grabbed air, and I realized that I had forgotten to grab my sword from the bed. As I went to do so, the yellow glow started again, and I turned to see my Thoron tome laying unused on my dresser. Frowning in uncertainly, I reached for the book, feeling the cool hard cover beneath my fingers.

I flipped open the first page, but somehow the book closed itself. I blinked in disbelief, reaching to open the book again. The same happened, this time a large shock of electricity sent a pulse up my arm. I dropped the book in fright, hearing it tumble to the floor as crackles of lightning could be heard from some distance away.

My eyes widened as I finally realized what was going on. I rushed to the window, flinging open the window as I stared out into the dark sky. Immensely dark clouds engulfed the land, blocking almost all visibility. A thump sounded off from behind me, and I whipped around to stare at the direction of the noise. The tome flipped itself open, pages flying into the room, shreds of paper blowing away into the wind. The few left still intact began to swirl around me in a funnel. I glanced around at the sudden incident, awestruck, yet at the same time confused.

A harsh gust of wind caught me off guard, and my robe began to whip around my legs, pulling back from the force of air. Rain began to soak my face, drenching me from head to toe. I shielded my eyes from the storm, but the rain still seemed to wet my face. I looked up, through the blur of rain. A stormy plain lay before me, dark silhouettes plaguing the horizon like a landscape of shadows. A flash of bright light struck the sky. Something appeared right in front of me before I could even flinch. Rotten, demonic eyes glowed a bright red, staring fire straight into my soul.

The pages fell to the ground around my feet, and I reached desperately for something to fight with; but to no avail. "What do you want with me?" I asked coldly, calling out through the rain towards the undead before me.

"Your life." The Risen whispered sinisterly, a shark-like grin spreading upon it's decayed face. "Your dear ones; your being; your existence... We want your soul." A malevolent cackle broke out into the cold air, the undead spitting rotten flesh into my face. "You may think you've won a war. But you don't know a damn thing about war. And you can't even imagine the hell I will wreck upon you and your pitiful friends!"

Terrified, I shoved the monster back, taking it by surprise as I sent my foot flying straight into its head. It burst with a loud crunch, followed by an evil shriek of pain. My vision shattered like glass, breaking as it fell back into reality.

I lay on the floor, gasping for air. My Thoron tome rested on the ground beside me, all of the pages back in place and in one piece. I stood to my feet shakily, picking up the book and stumbling towards my bed. Vision blurred, my hearing was delayed by a few seconds, and I couldn't feel much at all. I fumbled around the room, looking for the door. Once I found it, I wrenched it open, stumbling outside into the hallway. Everything went black as my head hit the ground with a crushing pain.

...

* * *

...

A faint light throbbed in the distance. It came closer... Then, all at once, I felt a cool wave of air wash over my body. I gasped for air as if I had been deprived of it. A shady figure stood over me. I realized that a lantern was in their hand, and they were holding it above my head. I blinked to clear my vision, but still struggled to see a face.

"You look like a wreck." A familiar voice caught my attention. I recognized it immediately, and a hint of a smile crossed my lips.

"Feel like so too." I said dejectedly, though it came out wrong as I was smiling. "What's with this fog?" I asked, feeling a pulse of pain in my head. I felt up towards my forehead only to touch gauze wrapped neatly around my head. I must have hurt myself again...

"I don't know. But it seems that everything that holds tangible power has been sealed away." He shrugged. "No one's tomes will work, neither will something as simple as a match. It's like the atmosphere was poisoned..."

"Then how'd you light that lantern?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as the light was lowered to a table beside the bed I was lying on.

"Oh, the old fashioned way." Chrom smirked, pulling up a chair and taking a seat just next to me. "So do you remember anything?"

"About what?"

"Well, before you knocked yourself unconscious in the hallway."

"Oh goodness..."

"Well, I guess there isn't really much to forget, huh?" He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.

"No, I believe I had a vision." I started skeptically, tapping my hand on my chin as I recollected the events. "Oh." I felt the color drain from my face as I remembered.

"'Oh' what?" Chrom asked, leaning forward again.

I frowned as I began to envision the tome and the lightning. "Strange things... I don't really-" Just then, someone else burst through the door, and quick footsteps could be heard.

"Apologies, milord. Your presence is requested at the aerie. I have been informed that it is urgent." The messenger bowed, then turned and left through the doors. I then realized that I was in the treatment room.

"I'm sorry, Jensen. Hold that thought, I'll be back." Chrom stood up, grabbed the lantern, and left without another word. Left in darkness, I hung my head low, gazing at the shadows in front of my eyes.

More steps echoed closer. Great, more condolences? I looked up reluctantly, but jumped when I saw Lon'qu holding a lantern and walking towards me. "Get out of bed, Jensen. You're going too." He said cooly, stopping briefly beside me before walking back.

I pushed the sheets aside, and despite the migraine, managed to stand and slip into my boots. Walking after the shady swordsman, I began to recall the vision again. "What do you need me for?" I asked suddenly as we exited the room and came to the main hallway of the palace.

"You'll see soon enough." Lon'qu responded shortly, not bothering to turn his head or add any emotional inflection. Without question, I followed him through the hall to the door at the end of the south wing, leading to the Pegasus stables.

...

...

Lon'qu and I arrived at the aerie shortly after Chrom, and walked in to a horrible sight. A twisted corpse lay on the floor, like a ragdoll, the victim was spread in a very unordered fashion. Blood pooled under the broken body, staining the hay beneath a dark crimson. The whole building smelled like death, and even the air was tainted with foul hints at murder.

"What the hell-?" I began, but was cut off by an interjection by someone beside me.

"Cordelia, I need you to focus." Chrom was saying, staring at her directly in the eye. He shook her slightly to wake her from her horrified trance.

"I-I watched her... F-Fall from the sky... Oh God, I can still hear her screams!" Cordelia wailed, gripping onto Chrom's chest as she heaved sobs into his shirt. He hesitated, then pushed her off lightly, and whispered something in her ear. She nodded through tears, then fled from the stable.

All eyes turned back to Chrom. "This was no accident. Whoever murdered this girl had an intention of sending a message. No one randomly assaults a knight of the Ylissean army like this." He turned to look at me, and I started in shock. "I think it's linked to the Risen attack." He mumbled, before looking back down at the corpse.

"But why? Why her?" I muttered to Chrom. "Why not the Capt-" He shivered at the idea, but looked at me knowingly.

"They did."

My eyes widened in terror. "Oh God..." I ran out the door, slamming it shut behind me as I took off towards the fleeing figure in the field. She collapsed in the tall grass a few yards away. I dashed still towards her, preparing words in my head as I approached. "Cordelia!" I called, but nothing came back in response. She cried out loud, hands on her face as she rocked like a baby.

"It could have been me, Jensen! I-It should have been me!" She bawled, pounding her fist on the ground in avid frustration. "Why wasn't it me that they killed? Why did that girl have to pay for my life?" She paused to take a deep breath. "Why?!" She wailed, head falling forward into her hands.

"It's not your fault, Cordelia." I urged, squatting down beside her as she wept. "Damn, I'm just glad you're alive." I tried to smile, but I swallowed that with the lump in my throat. "She died to keep you alive."

"I-It was my fault! It should have been me!" She screamed, breaking down even harder.

"How did it happen?" I asked seriously, looking up into her tear-stained face.

"Sh-she was training with me... She was on the p-pegasus with me, and the arrow... Oh God, I can still her hear screams!" She broke into tears again, clamping her eyes shut as if a vision had plagued her. "She took the arrow for me. It should have been me!"

"But it wasn't. And for that I'm glad." I stated, which earned me a dirty glare. Then soon after, she collapsed onto my shoulder with raging emotion. "I-" The ground erupted in a violent quake, throwing rocks into the air. I stood to my feet in surprise, staring at the impending destruction before me. "Run! Now!" I yelled over the sound of destruction.

Cordelia struggled to stand to her feet. I pulled her up and began to dash straight for the stables, tugging her along as earth displaced itself all around. Purple mist began to seep through cracks in the ground. It can't be... My eyes widened with the sudden realization. This was the Risen attack.

I leapt into the stable, unsheathing my sword and pulling Cordelia into the room. Risen began to crawl out from the holes in the ground, and like a flood, they began to surge forward towards us. I turned to Chrom, staring incredulously. "Chrom, we need to get out of here!" I exclaimed frantically, trying to come up with simultaneous courses of action.

"If we stay much longer, there won't be a 'we'!" Chrom replied, holding Falchion in his right hand while urging a Pegasus knight onto her mount. Four knights flew off through the new hole in the roof, while one stood dormant in the corner.

"Cordelia, go!" I cried, advancing forward to stab a rotten head as the crowd reached us. "Take Chrom and go!"

"I-I can't!" Cordelia protested, taking the lance from the saddle on the wall. "I-I won't flee again! I've been a coward once, and don't you tell me to live that again!" She shouted desperately, her throat beginning to choke up with emotion.

"Chrom! Now!" I yelled, slicing open the chest of an undead, while turning to kick back another one.

"Jensen, it's you who should go, not me! You're the tactician!" Chrom called over the scrapes of metal on bone.

"And you're the Exalt of Ylisse! Go secure the gates! Protect the greater good!" I shouted back, thrusting into two more bodies.

"You are the greater good!" Chrom cried hysterically, cleaving a Risen head clean off the shoulders.

"What is one life compared to many others?" I yelled with a final effort. Chrom faltered, taking a step back from the horde of dead faces.

"Emm... I hoped you wouldn't bring that up..." He sighed, staring at me with malice and sadness at the same time.

"Well, I just did! Go, Chrom! The world needs you! Go now or you'll never live to appreciate your sister's sacrifice!" I screamed over the growls of the marauding beasts.

"Oh gods, Jensen..." Cordelia gasped, struck with a sudden weight of the situation. She had evidently never thought it would come so soon. And neither had I... "Oh gods..." She continued sniffing as she covered her mouth with both gloved hands.

"GO! Go, damn you, go!" I cried, hacking through more lines and motioning with one hand.

"Naga protect you." Chrom muttered back as he and Cordelia sprinted for the Pegasus by the far wall. Completely terrified, the horse bucked and kicked to get free of the trauma. Wasting no time, they hopped on the Pegasus. I glanced up as I finished gutting another Risen, catching the gaze of the gorgeous crimson-haired girl. I sighed inside. Time began to slow. Tears streamed down her face, welling up in her eyes as the pain in her heart shot into mine with her icy glare. I stood entranced. This would be the last time I ever would see them again...

Quickly, in one fluid motion, she bit her lip and kicked the Pegasus. It shot up with a rush of air, taking off for the skies above.

An earth-shattering clang brought me back to reality. "Pay attention!" Lon'qu grunted, thrusting aside the axe that was clearly aimed for my head. "Any plans now? We're trapped here to the death."

"I thought you escaped already!" I called, thrusting at yet another line of undead soldiers. Like pawns in a chess game, this was just the prelude of what was to come for Ylisse. I began to process unscripted battle strategies, thinking rapidly to find any possible route of escape. "We'll have to fight until we live or die."

"You think I don't welcome a challenge?" Lon'qu replied while thrusting his blade into the stomach of another soldier. "Besides, there doesn't seem to be an end to this sea of rotten flesh." He added, swinging around to decapitate two more Risen simultaneously.

...

...

My body ached with tremendous pain. Lon'qu had been stabbed through the chest with a lance, and lay crippled in a pool of blood beside me. He had surely passed into a coma by now, as he did not move a bit from the spot he occupied. I fought with everything I had, but my arms and legs were shaking violently from the repetitious swings of my blade. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and it mixed with my sweat to drench my clothes. I was stained in flecks of blood: hands, face, chest... It was everywhere, pouring out from various wounds I had collected. The smell of rotten flesh filled the air, even though the purple mist was all that was left of all the dead Risen corpses.

Suddenly, a blinding flash came from the corner of my eye. I turned just in time to block a furious slash from a Risen Myrmidon. I brought up Ragnell to stop the swipe, but no resistance came, and a loud shatter filled my ears. I hit the ground hard, looking around in a haze. I glanced at the image of Ragnell lying, smashed to pieces on the floor next to me. To my disbelief, a fighter raised his axe above my head as the Myrmidon recovered from his swing.

Here is where it ends.

But the axe never fell. I looked up to the Risen, confused and bewildered. The Myrmidon went stiff, and fell over with a javelin straight through his head. Frantically, I glanced around in shock.

"Kyaaaaaaah!" A cry rang out from behind the attacker. A spear tip ripped through the axeman's torso, spraying rotten black blood and slicing bone. I stood to my feet as the final Risen crashed to the ground. Sumia pulled her lance from the stiff corpse, sighed, and lifted her head to look at me. Her eyes were filled with tears.

She threw down the spear and rushed towards me, grabbing me into a inescapable hug. "Jensen!" She shouted into my shoulder as she clutched onto me tight. "When I heard about the attack... I thought you were dead..."

"Sumia!" I murmured, taken aback by her sudden embrace. "Why the hell did you come back for me? You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"Chrom told me all about it. When I heard, I... I had no choice..."

"Sumia, please be more careful next time. Your death would do more damage to me than any single axe could ever do." I replied insistently, kneeling down to gather up the shattered remnants of Ragnell.

"You saved my life once. At least let me return the favor."

I stopped at this. Her words struck my heart like a battering ram. "Okay. You win..." I sighed in defeat. "Thank you very much, fair Queen of Ylisse. I owe you my life." She whimpered out a short giggle through her tears, which made me feel all the more crushed inside.

"The Risen are not but a half day's march from the gates. They're holding a war council at the palace, and we need our tactician. ...And I need my friend." She explained slowly, looking down at the ground.

I couldn't help but smile, despite the knot in my chest.

"W-We must hurry! Grab him, and let's go." She pointed to Lon'qu, before hastily dashing out of the aerie. With much difficulty, I heaved the unconscious Myrmidon up to my shoulders and followed immediately.

"Come! We have no time to lose!" Sumia exclaimed. "Hop on!" Mounting her Pegasus, she fastened her spear to the saddle and turned to help me lift Lon'qu up. I stole one last glance at the mounds of corpses littering the field before we took off into the stormy sky.

But this was just the beginning of the Risen assault.

...

...

Circling around the palace, I gazed at the horizon, looking for any sign of the Risen army, but nothing came into sight, despite the recent attack on the aerie. Hooves struck the stone floor as Sumia's mount once again landed. We both dismounted and began to haul Lon'qu over to the infirmary.

"Gods! Is he alive?" Lissa called, running up to us as we approached, medical bag at the ready.

"Yes, but barely." I said somberly, heaving him to the nearest bed. After letting go, I felt half as much lighter.

"He's been stabbed twice. He has a punctured lung for sure..." The blonde princess murmured softly as she checked the myrmidon's body.

"Wait, how can you tell?" Sumia pondered as Lissa looked over her shoulder for help.

"Maribelle, lend me a hand!" She screamed. Turning back to Sumia, she explained, "The left side of his chest by the puncture wounds isn't rising with his breath."

"Oh..." I spoke for Sumia, humming in approval of her answer.

"Oh dear!" Maribelle suddenly gasped at the sight of the wounded warrior, running up to Lissa's side. She reached into her bag and pulled out an elixir, handing it to her immediately. "Does he have any fatal wounds?"

"He has an arrow lodged in his hip, and he's been impaled in the chest twice. Punctured his lung, but I don't think he'll die." Lissa remarked quickly, tearing the clothes from Lon'qu's chest. Large, gaping wounds bled like springs on his bare skin.

"Lissa dear, I think he's waking up!" Maribelle stated, rushing to the patient's head. He looked up at her in bewilderment, then winced in pain. Another groan followed, and soon he was struggling for breath.

"W-What's going on? Where am I?" He asked, aghast by the sight of two women standing right over him.

"Oh Naga!" Lissa swore under her breath, taking the cap off of the Elixir. "You're in the infirmary. Hold on Lon'qu, you're going to be just fine." She began pouring the contents of the bottle down his throat. He pushed her away and grunted, frowning in disapproval.

"That tastes vile! What are you trying to do me, woman?" He gasped, panicking even more when he realized Maribelle was dabbing at his chest. At this, he pulled back in alarm, despite the pain coursing through his entire body. He melted back down to the pillow once he realized that he was bleeding profusely.

"It's called saving your life." Lissa retorted, putting the small container to his lips again. He reluctantly swallowed and grimaced again at the horrible taste.

"Th-That's... better." He grunted once he had fully consumed the contents of the bottle.

I turned to Sumia with a sigh. "I'm glad we made it in time." I muttered.

"Me too." She smiled, looking back over her shoulder. "But we must make haste. The war meeting is awaiting your presence." I nodded quickly and she led me out the door into the hallway.

"Where's Cordelia? Is she alright?" I asked immediately, catching Sumia off guard.

"She's fine... Just shaken, but she's in the meeting as we speak. She's stronger than you give her credit for you know?" She added cooly.

"Well... I just don't want to see her worry so much. She takes on so much at one time and then her life ends up shattered because of it. I guess I'm just trying to help, but..." I sighed dejectedly, realizing my words were getting nowhere fast, and instead switched the subject to the impending threat on my mind. "So what's the situation?" I asked as I fell in step beside her.

"You've had dreams of them right? Visions?" She replied slowly.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Chrom told me all about it." She said simply. Oh. Of course he did, I seethed under my breath. "So... Magic and other forms of energy still don't work. There have been Risen sightings all over Ylisse the past few hours. Sometimes at random, other times as organized raids attacking border towns. But we know the main army approaches from the north and they're but a half day's march out."

"How do you know this?" I mused, taking a deep breath at the news.

"Scouts by the border reported in about two hours ago. They tore down the walls like they weren't even there. They must have used the attack on the aerie as a diversion to get us to turn our heads from the border..."

"Gods! If they managed that, how on earth are we supposed to protect the city?" I asked incredulously as we turned the corner towards the war room.

"Well, that's why we need you." Sumia smiled confidently and stopped outside the doors.

"So I'm supposed to save Ylisstol?" I muttered, shaking my head as my heart began to pound faster. Millions of lives were now at my fingertips...

"But you don't have to do it alone. You have your friends. All of us, we're here for you. We just need leaders like you and Chrom to build the impossible defense." She beamed happily, reaching forward to wrap me into a warm embrace. "I believe in you, Jensen." We can do this."

"Thank you, Sumia." I smiled and hugged her back. Her encouragement was sweet like a rare sentiment, and it made me feel slightly less anxious. But all the same... I reached for the door and prepared to plan my destiny. All of our destiny. The fate of Ylisse.

...

* * *

...

"Jensen! Thank the gods, we were so worried!" Chrom exclaimed as I pushed open the door to the war room. He stood from his seat and ran to me, grabbing me into a big bear hug.

"Aw, I knew I could count on you." I replied with a laugh, returning the hug fervently.

"Are you hurt?" He asked immediately after backing away.

"Oddly unscathed. Thanks to a certain Pegasus knight."

"Sumia, you have my deepest thanks." Chrom looked at her over my shoulder. "If you hadn't been so insistent, he might have died!"

"No Captain, it's my joy!" Sumia beamed brightly, stepping further towards the Exalt.

A gruff cough came from behind us. "I think it'd be best if we focused on the task at hand, milord." Frederick stated as he leaned stiffly against the table. Seven other soldiers sat around the big table facing the opposite wall. "The Risen are bound to be naught but a few hours-"

"Yes, yes, Frederick the Wary. Jensen, let's strategize." Chrom shifted tone to a commanding one and resumed his rigid stance.

"Right." I walked forward to the map of Ylisstol on the wall to the left of the door. "Sumia claims that the Risen are approaching from the north, and I have no reason to not believe her."

"She is correct." Chrom said flatly, glancing to Frederick who nodded in confirmation.

"At the border, they crushed us. So we know we can't meet them with brute force."

"Then what do you suggest?" He asked and took the seat facing the map. "Trapping them? Spreading confusion?"

"Or both?" Cordelia asked from the seat next to Frederick.

"Trapping them is ideal, but if we have much smaller numbers than they do, how will we keep them in?" I mused, beginning to pace.

"We need something bigger, something to funnel them-" Chrom's eyes widened in realization. I smiled at his reaction and drew a circle around our city walls with my finger. "Oh gods no, Jensen."

"It's the only way." I stated simply while Frederick laughed nervously.

"By using our walls to keep them at bay, we wouldn't meet them at full force..." Virion added, running a hand nervously through his hair.

"We don't need to keep them at bay." I said slowly, which earned me a few confused stares. Chrom shook his head in shame, but I continued. "If we let them inside our walls, we can fend them off one by one..."

"That's suicide!" Frederick exclaimed loudly.

"Not if it's properly executed." I explained, raising a finger in the air to silence him. "We'll gain the upper hand in a matter of seconds if we catch them by surprise, as Chrom suggested. We wait patiently and strike."

"What about the other gates?" Lissa asked in a concerned tone. "I mean, if the Risen figure it out somehow, then won't they start assaulting a less fortified gate? We could think it's over, and the next minute, the entire city's being ransacked by a force we didn't even notice existed."

"That's a good point." Sumia mumbled, biting her lip.

"And what about the people? We can't let our sheep be hurt." Frederick added, his brow furrowing in deep concentration.

Chrom spoke up and stood simultaneously. "We can evacuate the city... Get them out to Ferox or-"

"But they're coming from the north." I sighed, wishing it was just that easy. But it never could be, could it? ... Unless... "Plegia?"

"No." Everyone in the room answered immediately and heads shook back and forth.

"Not a chance. ... But what do we have? Southtown isn't big enough. We could send them out into the fields, the woods, the mountains to the east?" Chrom suggested slowly, staring at the map for reference.

"Too risky. They might be spotted on their way out." I answered quickly, putting a hand to my mouth in contemplation. "How long would it take to dig a tunnel?"

"Hah!" Chrom laughed, staring out the window at the expansive skyline. "To fit this many people? Months if we recruited everyone we could. We certainly don't have the time for that."

Kellam cleared his throat. "There is an old mining colony to the southwest of here, we could-"

"We'd risk it collapsing. That site hasn't been touched in half a century." Stahl interjected.

"Is there seriously no way to get these people to safety?" I asked incredulously, raising my eyebrows in shock. "I'm surprised, Chrom!"

"Well it's not like I've been planning my whole life around making my hometown into an impenetrable fortress!" The Prince retorted, scoffing in disbelief.

"Well how else do you expect to protect your own people?!"

"Okay, these Risen wouldn't be here if not for 'Marth', or whatever her name is."

"Marth..." I whispered. I hadn't heard that name in forever... "Where is she?"

"Last I heard, she ran off because she had already 'altered our past too much'. I don't know, why are you asking me this?" He grumbled, putting a hand to his forehead.

"I wonder if she knows anything of the attack..." It seemed likely. She must have known the attack patterns, the behavior and even if these events had happened in her timeline...

"I really doubt it." Cordelia stated with a sigh.

"Besides, it's not like I know any way of contacting her!" Chrom laughed as he took his seat once more at the table. "And anyway, how would she possibly help our people escape?"

"She's independent?" Stahl suggested, leaning his back against the wall.

"No, she's of no use to us now." Frederick sighed.

"Fine." I mumbled, turning back to the map. "If we have no way of evacuating, we at least need to handle the civilian population. Someone needs to maintain peace even if we're fighting at the walls."

"I'll handle that." Chrom stated, turning to his advisor who quickly left the room. "We'll send a guard to ensure their safety. But we need to make sure we prevent the battle from coming to them."

Sumia nodded. "And if we let the Risen inside, we need to make sure we can reinforce the troops so that they don't come pouring in so fast."

"Right." I nodded and pointed to the outline of the front gate. "If we let them pass, I'll need soldiers lining the street behind the wall. I'll need the smaller force to hide inside the walls and attack when the first Risen get through. That way we can maintain surprise at the same time as keeping them distracted for the most part. Meanwhile, we'll have archers led by Virion positioned on the walls, out of sight."

The archer nodded with satisfaction and smiled smugly. Then his face fell as easily as it lit up. "But where would I aim? I would risk harming the valuable lives of our own soldiers if I fired a single arrow at anyone behind the gates."

Chrom looked up at me skeptically. I paused for a second, purely for dramatic effect, and decided to sigh with indignation. "Well, I would think that the 'Archest of Archers' would be able to pick out the enemy soldiers in a crowd?"

At this, the cravat-clad nobleman cringed, grimacing as if hurt by my words.

I smiled mockingly at his reaction. "If you feel unworthy, then perhaps I can position-"

"No need!" Virion interjected nervously. "I can handle it, for sure."

"Good. I'll assign only the best soldiers to your legion, so you should have no reason to fret." I stated and looked back at Chrom, who stared blankly in confusion. Everyone stayed perfectly silent, and the questions hung in the air so tensely, I could almost see them. I decided to give up teasing the poor man, since it clearly wasn't funny. "Alright fine. Virion, you'll cover the watch tower. I want you positioned behind the walls so that you won't have to meet their full force. If any single Risen slips past the main force, you are to make sure they don't make it further than a few meters down the road. And before our troops enter the fray, a few rounds of arrows should keep the Risen on their toes."

"That's more like it." Virion smiled confidently, and folded his arms over his chest.

"One more thing." Frederick started simply, sitting upright in his seat once more. "Scouts did report that the Risen don't seem to have any magic force."

"Huh. That leaves our Pegasus knights at a disadvantage one-on-one..." I pondered beginning to pace. "In that case, I'll need the main force composed of armored knights and cavalry; we'll have the defensive advantage this way. The second defensive wave will be Myrmidons and fighters. The third wave will be long range, so Mages will need to keep them under pressure while the archers take the rear and protect against any aerial threats. I'll need Frederick to lead the first wave into battle, Lon'qu will lead the second wave, and the third wave will be commanded by Miriel. Pegasus knights will need to fight with Javelins to have a range advantage, so I'll position them in front of the royal guard. Basically, Cordelia, I'm trusting you to protect Chrom."

"With my life." She answered immediately.

"This regrettably puts Chrom near the front of the battle..."

"Good. I would hate to sit this out." The exalt stated confidently.

"... And I'll be joining you. Someone has to keep that wild Falchion of yours in check." I smiled at him, earning me a blank stare. "Now the east and west gates will be guarded by the remaining cavalier and swordsmen. I wish we had more knights to our disposal, but we'll need every bit of help we can get for the main gate. I'm putting Stahl and Sully in charge of the east and west sides respectively. There are no southern gates, so we don't have to worry about that being attacked. Any other questions?"

"I've got one." Sully called out loudly. "What if they attack the east or west first instead of north?"

"Unless they're counting on us to expect that. Then they'd do the opposite. Either way, they're still just a horde of mindless monsters. They're still just as wild and unorganized as they're ever going to get. They'll rely on numbers and strength, if not together, then separately. Then we just cross our fingers, fight our hardest, and outsmart them. Shouldn't be hard considering they don't have brains."

"Damn it. It'd be so much more simple if these jackasses just left us alone..." She grumbled beneath her breath.

"So... What do we do now?" Sumia sighed.

"Simple answer: We prepare for battle." I smirked in mock confidence. "Honest answer: we account for their brute strength and lack of thought, and pray that they don't have catapults. Just hope to Naga that this whole plan works, or we'll all be dead by sundown."

...

...

**Next chapter... ****The battle we've been waiting for (AKA, the part of the story where I finally realized I really have butchered this story's potential and subconsciously replaced it with... stuff.). #RIP**


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